Familiar Fire: The Embers of the Past
by J Shute
Summary: A sequel (with permission) of Variable mammal's Familiar Fire. The Crushing Pall is gone and the dust settled but many mammals, empowered or not, have mistakes or experiences that won't just go away. A new fire is catching from the embers of the past, one that will test the resolve of Brittany Voxen and those of the ZED. But will they step through it untouched, or be consumed?
1. Prologue

**AN: Did you know that I am a big fan of Kittah4's/ Variable Mammals' story, Familiar Fire?**

 **Did you know that I came up with a sequel idea, pitched it to him, and he said that I could write it?**

 **Did you know that you're reading that story now?**

 **On a serious note, it was an interesting talk with the fantastic Kittah, given that he was working on (and has started to publish) his own sequel, 'The Appointed Time'. He said that there were good bits that he was also doing in a similar or different way, plus other ideas he really liked. As he goes on and publishes The Appointed Time (which you should check out, over on A03) it'll be interesting to see where he goes, and how our stories tackle this world and its characters.** **Overall, this story will have the same relation to his work as his story 'Vixen's mark' (which took another writers plot concept, creating an alternate story to the official sequel) does to SophieWitches' universe.**

 **I'll be posting the prologue and chapter 1 first, then it'll be a little while as I finish up another story before I carry on with chap 2 and onwards. Minimum wait will be just less than two weeks. Alternatively, the max would likely be five. After that though I hope to have a regular schedule down.**

 **Cover art on Fan-fic is a commission done for Familiar Fire by RoahmMythril.**

 **Proofing for the prologue, and a lot of help, came from the ever fantastic Cimar.**

 **Finally, the prologue is stylistically different from much of the fic, for reasons which I believe will become clear at its end. It can be skipped though if you so wish. If you're feeling sceptical about the story after reading it, chap 1 is there for you to go through as well.**

 **Feel free to leave a comment, I'll be answering questions over on A03, and I hope you enjoy.**

 **.**

* * *

 **.**

 **Prologue**

 **.**

.

Zootopia.

.

The shining city.

.

Even before the second great awakening it was one of the finest jewels of mammal civilization. Tall, proud, rich and host to a greater diversity of species than any other city. The wealth of the United Mammal States flowed through it on its way to far off lands, shipped down the mighty Kula river, while rich spices and innumerable treasures flowed back in return. Said to be founded where the first great awakening, the truce between predators and prey, occurred, it would have been rich even before the second one.

But after that mysterious event, in which flashes filled the sky as comets and meteors fell to earth, it became richer for a whole other reason.

.

The empowered.

.

Even now, after over a century of superpowers, Zootopia had more gifted mammals than any other place on earth. It was home of the Zootopia empowered division, or the ZED, the most respected task force of them to have ever existed. It was home to the best researchers and the most advanced technology, ready to learn more about these abilities and harness them for good.

It was also home to those who would misuse their gifts…

Finally, last and least, were the forgotten majority.

Those with no powers at all…

.

 **10 years previously.**

.

A light drizzle was pouring down the back alley as three mammals exited a building. Closing the door behind them, the light and music fading, they pulled on their poncho's and put up their umbrellas before heading off. They stood shoulder to shoulder, one large and round, one tall and slender  
and one small, nestled in the middle.

The large one smiled as he walked, turning down to the smaller one. "Well, my favourite child," he chuckled warmly, leaning down to rub the little figure's head. "I think I understand now why you wanted us here to help get you out of that…" he said, nodding back towards the door. "Though given what you've done, surely you could have tried to enjoy it!?" He let out a hearty laugh, hoof to his chest as his other one pulled his daughter in tight.

"Father," she sighed, "you know I tried. But you know those kind of parties aren't my thing. Too loud… too exciting…"

"He knows," the third figure, her mother, interrupted. She spoke warmly, before giving her husband a dark look. "He just had too much of the free prosecco… _As always…_ "

Shaking his head, he tutted as he looked over at his mate. "Eva, dearest, you can take the mammal out of student life, but not student life out of the mammal. I can never let a free meal slide, yet alone a free drink!"

"It seems I must have higher standards then," the couple's daughter noted, rolling her eyes a bit. "That, or I never embraced that whole student life thing entirely..."

Her voice trailed off, its sound replaced by the background noise of the city and the clop of their hooves on the pavement.

 _Clop…_

 _Clop…_

 _Clop…_

 _Clop…_

 _Clop…_

 _Clop…_

"Hey, Darling," her father spoke, leaning in closer to his small, but very much adult, daughter. "You know how proud we are, don't you?"

"Of course she does, dear," the mother replied, before squealing slightly with joy. "Our little girl passed the Bar! She's a lawyer!" Her paws came up her mouth as she barely contained her excitement, her feet  
tippy-tapping on the ground as she walked. Her daughter was less enthusiastic about the display though, shying away from the embarrassment.

Thankfully, it soon passed, and she returned a hug as they carried on. Having passed the back exits of the kinds of clubs where the rest of the students were loudly partying, they moved into an area that backed onto tenement buildings as they worked their way over to where the car was parked. The sky was black, while the glow from the overlooking windows coloured the falling rain a sultry orange. Carefully looking where they were going, they weaved through bits of rubbish that had been dumped onto the cobbles, along with overflowing bins that had been left out.

A new sound filled the air, recognisable as the evening news report being played out on a radio.

' _-new information on the perpetrator of the Tundra Town bank robbery. An empowered red fox, Nicholas Wilde, has been identified as the prime suspect. ZED officer Jack Savage reported that the vibration attack that broke down the vault walls matched his super speed power exactly, and he can think of  
no-one else capable of doing such a deed…."_

Turning a corner, the three mammals spotted the source of the sound, a little radio resting on a covered stoop. Next to it stood a massive grizzly bear, slowly taking the time to enjoy a cigarette.

' _-A ZED taskforce has already tried and failed to apprehend Wilde, who used his powers to escape. Witnesses state that he seemed confused when standard police officers started to read his rights, denying any wrongdoing. Reportedly he panicked and began to flee, doing more-so once enforcers arrived to assist. The last time he was seen, he was apparently screaming that he 'hasn't been to TundraTown in month's', before speeding off into the distance. Civilians are reminded that he could be incredibly dangerous, and if they see him they should call 888 for the ZED immediately."_

The news carried on, slowly moving onto other headlines. As the trio approached the bear he finished his cigarette, grinding the butt into a flooded ashtray, before picking up his radio and opening his door, heading inside. The daughter of the group watched as he did so, noting how large he was and how he could easily kill her by pure accident.

A number of cases that she might soon be defending would be along those lines…

"Tch…."

Her father's voice pulled her from her train of thought and she looked up as he spoke.

"Didn't do it…" he said, shaking his head. "If he didn't do it, why did he run, huh?"

"I know," the mother agreed. "Stand at a trial and prove your innocence, rather than running away like a thief. I mean, doesn't that sound like guilty to you dear?"

"He's innocent until proven guilty," the youngest of the three stated firmly. "But it's a pretty big mark against him, plus a potential resisting arrest charge even if it turns out he isn't guilty."

"He probably thinks he can get away scot-free," her father chided, shaking his head. "Just another power hungry empowered thinking they're above everyone else…"

.

…

"What's that you cotton buds were saying about us empowered, huh?"

.

The words were sneered out, but in the quiet of the alley they could have just as well as been shouted. The three paused mid-step, their ears going up, alert, as they slowly turned around. There, barely more than a silhouette in an alcove, was a porcupine.

"I said, what's yer beef against us!?"

…

"I apologise."

The younger of the three looked up to see her father walk forwards, shielding her and her mother, before bowing his head slightly.

"I was just making a comment about this mammal on the news. I meant no offence…"

"I don't care what you meant," he sneered again, one side of his mouth grinning open angrily, his teeth catching a glint of light. "I care 'bout what I heard…"

She watched as her father's hands, tucked behind his back, made a shooing motion, and she began to put one foot behind the other as she and her mother retreated.

"I…. I said 'another' empowered…" her father stammered out. "Just this fox joining the last bunch of empowered criminals… I'm sure you're a fine law-abiding citizen… So, if we can be on our way…"

…

.

"How about no."

He raised a paw and clicked his fingers, before three flashes emerged from his back. Faster than a blink of an eye, a quill was at her father's neck...

...One was on the nape of her mother's.

...and one was on her… pricking down to her skin, a cold and terrifying sense of dread flowing out from the point and down, spreading through her body.

She felt herself begin to tremble, and gulped as she thought she felt it press deeper…

"The thing is," the porcupine continued, taking the time to summon another quill from his neck, which he deftly put into his mouth to chew. "Thin' is…. I'm a criminal empowered… So you were insultin' me… Weren't you?"

.

.

.

"I… I can give you all we have…" her father stammered, beginning to visibly tremble. She felt her hammering heart begin to break at the sight, the strongest mammal she knew afraid…

.

.

"Tha's a start…"

.

.

"What… what else do you want," he begged.

.

The porcupine laughed.

.

"Fun!"

.

.

.

.

"I don't think so."

The new voice cut through the air, old, weak, and raspy, yet suddenly powerful and strong. There was a creak as a door opened and the bear from earlier walked out, lumbering step after lumbering step.

Back where she was, she felt a wave of relief as the huge mammal stepped into the light, towering over her attacker. His huge paws out, he weaved his fingers together and cracked his knuckles, showing off the powerful claws he had.

He turned down to the empowered mammal and shook his head.

"Leave these fella's here alone. Now… And you won't get hurt."

.

The porcupine spat out the quill he was chewing and looked up, shrugging. "And if I don't."

.

"You'll get hurt."

….

The porcupine laughed, before his back exploded.

.

.

.

.

Not far away, a rhino in a police car got a call over his radio. Pulling up his receiver her put it to his ear. "Officer Greyhide," he answered.

"We've got a suspected mugging in an alley off of Inga street. A civilian, brown bear, called it in. Copy?"

"Ten-four," the officer replied, placing down his radio and turning on the engine.

"One last call for tonight then?"

Greyhide turned to see his partner, a large hippo called Higgins, and nodded.

He shrugged. "Piece of cake then."

They set off, quickly making their way over to the area.

.

.

They were like a swarm of hornets, hundreds of quills suddenly pulled from his back and flying around the bear. Her saviour, tall and strong and proud and ready to rescue them, fell and screamed as he was covered. She closed her eyes and looked away, but she had already seen too much.

While her world was black, she couldn't get the image of a pin cushion out of her mind.

.

.

Outside the entrances to several nightclubs, thronging with celebrating students now that the term was out, two wolf officers walked back and forth.

"No vodka witches yet," one of them observed, chuckling. He had a brown pelt, young and fresh.

"I'm beginning to think Isaac made that up, Gus," the other noted, pausing to scratch his chin.

"Still," the first one pondered, "if you're going to get one, here's the place."

"At least it's staying calm for your first finals patrol," the second said. He was an older wolf, covered in black fur and with dark amber eyes. Flecks of grey were in both though, showing his age as a veteran of the force.

"Any stories from the good old days," Gus asked with a little smile.

The black wolf scratched the underside of his chin before dropping his paw back to his holster, a tranq gun secured inside and loaded. "Bar a very angry goat five years ago who, by my paws, may have done a General Wasabi, I can't think of much."

"Tchhh…" The brown wolf's response was accompanied by a smile, and he shook his head. "Guess all the crazy stuff is reserved between those empowered now, isn't it?"

"I know, I…." The older wolf trailed off, his ears rising suddenly. The other wolf's ears joined them and, together, they focussed past the roar of the partying crowd and listened.

There was quiet then, off in the distance, a scream that chilled them to the bone.

" _ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ARGHHH! ARGHHHHHH! ARGHHHHHHHH!"_

They turned to each other and nodded, before racing off.

.

.

She had never felt complete soul shattering pain but, in that moment, she heard it.

She heard it and she could feel the terror and pain and the wish to end it. The only thing that she felt from herself was the urge to run…

She stepped backwards, only to feel a dozen needles pricked her back…

"You're not going anywhere," The porcupine hissed, before turning back to his victim. His arms, outstretched like a preacher, rose up, and the thousands of swords at his command pulled out again.

"Third time's the charm," the attacker called, a hideous look of glee on his face.

…

She felt the worst on this attack as there was no scream.

Just a whimper…

The whimper of a broken mammal that couldn't be beaten anymore. His fighting had ended, and he lay twitching and crying on the floor. She felt like a kangaroo had kicked in her stomach and winded her…

Too shocked to feel anything.

.

.

They'd been off duty when they'd smelt it, the scent of blood hanging in the air. It was a little point of pride for polar bears like Officer Piermont, but they had the best sense of smell in Zootopia. Well, maybe not the most precise or the one that could best tell between two very similar scents, but in terms of range there was none that could beat hers. She ran forwards, hauling on some of her gear as she went, before handing her bag to a large tiger. Daniel had been a friend ever since the academy and, even when they were celebrating a little bonus that they'd received, she knew that he'd always be with her to enforce the law.

The stench of blood was coming up rapidly, as was the sound of a siren. She paused as a cruiser pulled up, a rhino and a hippo jumping out.

"Here for the homicide," she grunted.

"We were told it was an assault," the hippo called, joining her as they raced forwards. "Not a homicide."

"Well, it is now…"

.

.

"Dumb normy. Why is it me that has to teach your kind your place," the empowered mammal noted, shaking his head. He turned up to face the three he'd originally come for, all of them trembling in fear. He looked at the father of the group, still in front of his wife and daughter, despite the blade on his neck. "Say," he began, a macabre sickness at the edge of his voice. "Do you want him to see no evil, hear no evil, or speak no evil?"

.

"Wha…"

…

"Do you want me to tear up his eyes, ear drums, or voicebox…?"

…

Her father just stood there, almost blurred as he shook and shook and shook. His mouth couldn't stop moving and he barely managed one word.

"N-no!"

…

From behind, she watched as the porcupine stepped forwards, observing the quivering bear.

"Wrong answer," he said.

.

.

"I smell more blood now," Gus called, the brown wolf sniffing the air more and more.

"Behind me then," the older wolf ordered. His underling nodded and stepped back to let him past.

.

.

Now," the attacker spoke, flicking the word up at the end with a bit of sadistic glee. "You should know better than to say no to an empowered, scrub. Time for your punishment."

Had she blinked she would have missed it.

The quill at her father's neck dove in and pulled out again, and he fell to the floor.

.

.

Higgins jolted to a halt, his arms out, as he almost ran into the pair of wolves.

"Fancy seeing you here Matt," the tigress panted, looking over at the older of the two. The brief moment of levity was cut short though as a scream pierced the night. The scream of a small, frightened girl. Who was screaming as there was no hope left. No way that the pain just inflicted could be undone. No way that she could go back after what had happened. The cops looked at each other and nodded, racing off.

They were close now.

.

.

"Now the real fun begins," he intoned, only to pause as a shout came from behind him.

"ZPD, stop where you are!"

Turning around, the porcupine noted half a dozen officers. A rhino, a tiger, a polar bear, two timber wolves and a very angry looking hippo.

They all had their weapons up, ready to fire.

She watched with dread as his fingers got into position.

…

 _Click…_

.

All the loose quills shot at them.

She closed her eyes but still heard the sound.

Like a million darts hitting a board at the same time….

.

.

The tiger saw them coming…

The rhino did…

As did one wolf…

And the other, instinct driving him to leap into action.

The polar bear felt a wave of fear and, in that last second, flinched and shielded herself.

The Hippo realised what was going on just a second too late…

.

.

There was the sound of bodies hitting the floor and she sunk to her knees…

"AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Her scream tore out of her mouth as she broke down, feeling dead inside. Just a few minutes ago she had her whole life before her and now it, and so many others, were over. She curled down into a foetal position and cried into herself, desperately hoping that it would be quick.

…

"Baby…"

Her mother's voice woke her up and she felt herself being pulled into her grip. Tentatively she opened her eyes and looked on at the site.

Her father lay there, dead.

The bear that had tried to save them lay there, dead.

The tiger and the polar bear that had tried to save them lay there, dead.

The Hippo lay there, trembling, holding one of his eyes closed and whimpering.

One of the wolves, almost untouched by the quills, cradled the other, rocking him backwards and forwards, crying as he did so. He let out an agonisingly mournful howl, filled with pain and sorrow, and she noticed a tranquiliser pistol slip from the dead wolf's black and grey paw.

It clattered onto the ground before coming to a rest.

The rhino, pricked with quill after quill after quill, walked forwards.

Every step was pained.

Every grunt sent a shiver down her spine.

He stopped by the mammal who'd done this, and she turned to look at him. He lay there, a tranquiliser dart in his side, alive…

The rhino walked forwards and knelt down, opening a hoof. "I'm officer Greyhide…" he said. "It's over…"

"E… Eva…" her mother managed, before stumbling to her feet, trying to make her way to her husband.

A large hand blocked her.

"I'm sorry…" he said.

She just stepped around him regardless, kneeling down to cradle her beloved's body.

The officer just stood there, staring at them for a moment or two, before turning to look at the last remaining survivor. "May I have your name…?" he asked.

"D…Dawn…" she stuttered, pushing through the tears. "Dawn Bellwether…"

.

.

* * *

 **AN: Dark, but in my view necessary given what I have planned. As I said at the top, if you're sceptical as to whether this story will be your sort of thing, chapter 1 is a good deal different and may well be your thing, so I advise checking it out.**


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: Thanks once more to Variable Mammals for giving me permission to pursue this project, and Cimar for proofing. Comments are always welcome, and if you have a question then put it in a comment over on A03 and I will answer.**

* * *

 **.**

 **Chapter 1:**

 _ **-The present-**_

.

"Urgh….. Where is it!"

Brittany groaned as she searched through her wardrobe, leaning in to try and get a closer look. Her paws were rapidly tossing out bags of shopping and, from the outside, it looked like she was on all fours, digging something out of the gargantuan mess within.

"AH-HA!"

Standing back up, she pulled out a deep purple swimsuit, holding it up by the shoulder straps as she gave it a good look. At the time of buying it, out shopping with Judy and Skye, they'd all agreed that it had suited her, and her mind hadn't changed.

However….

The right hand side of her muzzle lifted up slightly, her ears folding back as she did so, as the same irritating truth came back through her mind.

She shook her head.

Never mind…

That was a bridge to burn when she got there.

Taking the swimsuit, she folded it up neatly, letting it rest on the top of all the other clothes she'd packed. Many, mostly pretty summer dresses (a plentiful amount with cute bird patterns on them, or the colour purple, or both), were brand new, as was the suitcase she was placing them all in. For all intents and purposes, she'd never needed one before, and it was pretty much the first thing that she and the other girls had got on their day trip to the mall.

"Right," she stated firmly, standing up and moving over to her list. Picking it up, a pen quickly finding its way into her other paw as she did so, she scanned down.

Socks… _Check._

Underwear… _Check._

Emergency pair of warm clothes…. _Check._

All five new dresses, plus five old ones… _Check._

Four T-shirt's, new, and two old… _Check._

Three of her old skirts, plus that little number Skye adored… _Check._

Two old skinny pants, three new… _Check._

Chill pill…

A quick frown crossed her lips, before she leant over to her medicine drawer and pulled out the offending little bottle, chucking it into her bag. It was only a week she'd be away, and she was in no way due for a burst of heat (not that she minded it that much), but it paid to be safe.

Turning back to her list she paused, looking over to her bag again and then back to her list.

She looked up, tapping her foot rapidly as she thought, before her eyes went wide with realisation.

Back into her wardrobe. Out with a loose T-shirt and a pair of ripped jean shorts, which she immediately threw into her case. An old favourite, she thought, and with all of these things she felt it best to have a spare incase the spare got damaged. That and the fact that a bit of extra choice was never a bad thing in her view.

Back to the list.

Furbrush… _Check._

Tooth stuff… _Check._

Hand mirror and claw file…. _Check._

Phone, charger and headphones…

A quick pat on her trousers checked the first item, while the others lay in the case with the rest of her stuff.

One or two plushies… _Check (more like a dozen)._

Swimsuit… _Check._

Bikini… _Check._

Goggles… _Check._

Those unmentionables….

.

She smiled as she came to the end of the list, ignoring the last, embarrassing, item on it and turning back to her case. She wasn't sure whether she'd have packed them or not even if she did have the guts to buy them. Thankfully, the fact that she'd quivered in embarrassment when eyeing them up in the store, Skye and Judy standing obliviously beside her, meant that she didn't have to make the decision now.

Tossing in a few books for good measure, the case was finally zipped closed, before being pulled off her bed and onto the floor, making a decent thud even through the carpet. The task at hand done, Brittany stepped back and jumped onto her bed, taking the time to look around her room. It had been hers for over ten years now and, although small for a flat, it served her very well as a bedroom and private study. It had nice big wardrobes along one wall, easily able to store everything she had; a wooden desk with her computer and television on it, plus a microwave and kettle; and a small private bathroom complete with a shower and full body fur dryer. Her favourite feature, though, was the big round window that hung over her bed. From it she could see out across the grounds of the ZED campus, onto the city of Zootopia and the bay beyond. Many of her bird plushies roosted up on the bottom of its sill, one of the personal touches which made the place feel like it was hers; alongside the posters she'd hung on the walls, all painted her favourite creamy yellow, and the new pictures of her family that she'd received, a bit necessary after she'd used her powers to burn her old ones.

She sighed a bit at the thought, before a loud knock caught her attention. Her drooping ears shooting up, she called out. "Come in!"

"Hey Brittany!"

It was Judy, and she was excited. The bunny entered the room, only to freeze at the sight before her. Her eyes went wide as she stared left and right, before turning to face her friend. A nervous laugh escaped, followed by a hesitant question. "You haven't developed earthquake or tornado powers, have you…?"

…

"No," Brittany replied with a shrug before looking down at her floor. It was strewn with emptied shopping bags and crumpled up clothes, abandoned where they'd been dropped. Even some of the bird plushies had fallen, joining the mess. "Oh….."

"Yeah, Oh," Judy tensely replied. "They've just entered the campus grounds, Brittany!"

"What?" the young vixen exclaimed, blinking a few times. "It's only…"

A quick check at her phone and another 'Oh' escaped her mouth. She looked up at Judy and smiled. "I guess I could clean up when I'm back?"

The bunny enforcer gave a nod before hurrying over, grabbing the case. "Right. Let's find Skye and…."

Brittany watched as she trailed off, having barely pulled the case halfway across the room. She gave it a second pull, confirming her suspicions, before looking up. "Sweet Cheese and Crackers Brittany! You're only away for a week, how much have you packed?"

"Ummm…. A lot…"

"Fine," Judy sighed, before releasing the handle. "But you get to pull all of that stuff about."

"Sounds good," she replied, stepping forwards to grab the case. It did feel a _bit_ heavy, but then again you couldn't be too prepared… Although with one thing she'd chosen not to be prepared at all. In any case, she wouldn't have to pull it around for long. Down to Skye's room to say farewell, down to the lobby and then into the taxi.

As she and Judy stepped out of the room, the door locking behind them, she couldn't help but think ' _what could possibly go wrong?_ '

.

.

.

The door smashed open and Brittany raced in screaming. "NIGHTIES!"

Judy followed in, panting in and out. "Just grab two, that'll be fine!"

"Right!" the vixen replied, grabbing three and racing back to the suitcase, only to turn back to grab two more.

Judy opened it up and watched as they were thrown inside, before grabbing the zip to close it up again.

"Why are you closing it!?"

The bunny looked up to see Brittany standing up above her, panting from the heat and radiating some out at the same time. The slight slip in the vixen's power control wasn't what had got her attention though. It was the six or so pairs of pyjamas that she held in her paws, torn from their drawer.

…

"No harm in being safe, is there?"

.

.

.

Finally packed, for real this time, the two made their way out. Walking briskly, the little wheels on the case rumbling along the floor as they went, they skipped the lift and went straight down to the lower floor. The ZED dorms were all built so that they were above one that was their same size, and while Skye's room wasn't right under Brittany's it was close. She was expecting to see her best friend waiting for her and waving, potentially flying around and taunting her for her tardiness. Instead, both she and Judy walked right into the middle of something. Bogo was standing in front of them and Skye, floating up above him, was arguing with the buffalo, and was in what appeared to be a very bad mood.

"-ISN'T FAIR!" she yelled, her paws shooting out in front of her. "ISN'T FAIR?"

"Yes," Bogo began to explain, only to be cut off.

"You do NOT get to lecture me on how life is unfair," Skye hissed, pointing at herself. "I know how unfair life can be. Heck… you seem to have forgotten why you did those things in the first place!"

"And you seem to have forgotten all the things that I did to put it right," Bogo lectured firmly, only to flinch back as Skye flew right into his face.

"Karen put it right," she growled, "by developing the coding and models. Madge put it right by coming up with the idea and perfecting the science! Judy put it right by being your pawn, and then doing something sensible! And, if you haven't forgotten, that fox out there put it right despite the fact that he had every right to refuse. ESPECIALLY after all you'd done to him!"

Bogo snorted, his nostrils flaring, and he brought a paw up to rub his temple. Looking away, he caught the sight of Judy and Brittany and smiled. "You off then?" he asked warmly.

"Oh no you don't!" Skye almost yipped, the cream coloured vixen flying around and parking herself right in front of Bogo's face.

"SKYE…" he began to growl, the radiating anger in his voice sending a terrifying little shiver down Brittany's spine, right to the tip of her tail. She backed off, joined by Judy, as their commander stared down their friend.

She flew in a bit, her eyes scowling, and pressed onto his nose with a claw. "I am not letting you get away with this," she warned, as he was forced back a step.

"Away with what?" Brittany asked, not sure of what was going on.

"Getting away with the fact that he persecuted an innocent mammal for _eleven_ years, in my name!" she stated.

"Wait, is this about Nick?" Judy asked, before looking up to Bogo. "I thought that you were working with the ZPD to sort out his pardon, given that he both saved us, AND we learnt that he was framed."

"I was," he grunted. "But given that he committed those murders, which he just so happens to claim were self-defence, plus all his misdemeanours coupled with resisting arrest for so long, they state that it's politically unacceptable."

"I'll tell you what's unacceptable," Skye stated. "Putting a mammal through hell like that when you _knew_ that he was innocent and you _knew_ that he acted in self-defence both times…"

"What are you talking about," Bogo said back. "Up until he jumped in on the day of the attack, I had every reason to believe…"

"STOP LYING!" Skye yelled, the scream causing both Bogo and Brittany to flinch back. She'd never ever seen her friend like this, or anywhere near like this. The cream coloured vixen panted a few times before speaking out. "You lied to me in bed, saying that you had this plan to save me, involving the blood of some criminal nobody. Then Judy told me how he'd been stitched up, and I did some digging into the classified ZED archives."

"The what?" Bogo asked, and Brittany couldn't help but notice a hint of fear in his voice.

"More specifically," Skye said firmly, "the minutes of your meeting between the mayor and the chief of the ZPD."

…

Bogo didn't speak, but to Judy and Brittany the silence said it all. The fear in his eyes, clear to see, only vanished when replaced with guilt and then anger.

"I'll admit that you may have just been pig headed with TundraTown," Skye continued, holding up her paw to count off. "The chief said that he seemed to have an alibi, and that as far as he knew another empowered could have done it, especially given the later actions of the only mammal to connect him to the robbery. But you were convinced that he could have raced there and back again, avoiding the camera's. That and you said that you needed his blood for me, though it was more about getting someone able to stop Jack rampaging on civilians than anything else…."

Bogo looked on, silently accepting his fate, as Skye moved on to counting another finger.

"But with that Prowlena chick, you straight up admitted that you knew that she was bad news. The chief stated how several witnesses confirmed that it was self-defence, and he even saved a life that night! But you stated that, as far as you were concerned, he was to be treated just as badly as she should have been."

Bogo shied away, his hoof coming up to pinch his nose. He meekly offered an explanation. "I said he'd be found innocent when brought to trial…"

"And why should he have trusted you… no, US!" Skye interrogated, before bringing up her last finger. "And with Hollideer, the new chief stated that Nick was a hero. He had half a dozen of that creep's survivors, HALF underage, all explaining how dangerous he was and how grateful they were to Nick. You said that you didn't care…"

…

"Bogo," Judy asked, stepping forwards. Her voice was emotionless. "You… You said you'd be fixing this."

"And I tried," he grunted. "But he's dug himself too big of a hole."

"You dug that hole," Skye snarked.

"I know… I know…. And I regret it. I honestly do…. But I'm trying to make it so he's okay. We compensated him for helping us. For helping you."

"He seemed okay with that," Brittany offered, blurting in. "When I talked to him. He kind of accepted it…"

"See Skye…" the buffalo began, only for Brittany to continue.

"But there were things that I kind of accepted, which I now regret doing so," she said sadly. "I should have pushed harder… Even if it wouldn't have worked…"

"And as those years went by I kind of accepted my 'life'," Skye cut in. "And, as far as I can see it, there's a fairly easy way for this whole mess to get sorted out."

…

"No," Bogo stated firmly.

"Why not!?"

"Are you forgetting who's in charge here," he accused, building himself up and trying to stare Skye down again. She just floated up higher, above him, and looked on with her own angry gaze. He shook his head and continued. "It would destroy the reputation of the whole ZED in the eyes of the public, something we do not need at this time… Maybe you've haven't been keeping track of the news, because there's a lot of mammals out there who're getting rather distrustful of us…"

…

"I order you to go and accompany Brittany on her way out, I've got business to attend to," he grumbled, before turning and walking off, still limping slightly as he used his cane to move along.

"This isn't over!" Skye yelled back, sinking back down to the ground and landing between Judy and Brittany. As her feet touched the floor she was breathing heavily, her tongue panting away as she tried to cool down, and the small red fox vixen next to her looked on, before looking down at her paws.

She contemplated it for a bit, a bit nervous given that this would be on a living breathing mammal rather than just into the air, before she shook her head and swallowed down her fears. Her mind emptied into a cold peace, she concentrated it onto her breathing, and a white mist came out of her palm. It covered Skye, the temperature around her dropping, and her panting ended. Brittany stopped what she was doing and looked on as Skye turned to glance at her, before turning back to face the floor by her feet, her paws coming up to clutch her face.

"Urghhhhhh!" she groaned.

….

"I'm sorry you had to see that Bree…"

There was a small chuckled before her paws slid down, uncovering her face, a little smile on her muzzle. "No-one likes stormy Skye, do they?"

"It's… a bit scary," Brittany pondered out loud. "But a bit exciting at the same time."

Skye barked out a louder laugh this time before leaning over to hug the younger vixen. "Thanks for the cooldown, Bree," she said with a smile, before ruffling up the other vixen's big lop of blonde hair. "Come on now, we've got to get you downstairs, haven't we?"

.

.

Five minutes later and the group finally arrived in the ZED lobby, its shiny surfaces and clean new fittings giving no impression of the carnage that had previously been wrought on it. They were almost immediately assaulted with a loud scream.

"BRITTANY!"

And then assaulted by a young vixen, who raced forwards and leapt into Brittany's arms. Little paws came around her and hugged her tight, while she gripped her little sister back in just as much of a bearhug, taking the time to rub the crown of her head. "How you doing, Kinsey?"

"Great! I finally get to spend a lot of time with my big sister! A whole week on holiday! I'm so happy!"

"Yeah-yeah," Brittany chuckled back, "I'm excited too." She let go of her sister and looked up, her smile dulling somewhat as she spotted her parents. Walking forwards, she let her smile grow a little.

"Hi…"

"Hi dear," her mother said back with a smile, walking forwards. She put her arms around her daughter and hugged tight, while Brittany gave a few awkward pats to her back.

"I'm… I'm so happy that you agreed to come along, darling," her father added, and she turned to hug him, their arms going around each other very lightly before withdrawing. He turned down slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "This was long overdue…"

"Well," Brittany said hopefully, "it's time now…" She turned around, before calling out. "Skye, can you bring my case please."

"Coming Bree," the cream coloured vixen replied, before stumbling a bit as she grabbed the case. "Wow…" she commented, "sure you don't have an elephant's packing in here!"

Brittany rolled her eyes and took the case back. As she did so, Skye gave a quick wave. "I'm Skye, by the way."

"Nigel."

"Delilah."

Skye nodded before replying. "Nice to meet you in the flesh."

Brittany watched as her mother's head tilted slightly to the side in confusion, though her father's eyes widened. "Of course, you're the ghost mammal!"

"Astral projection," she chuckled, shrugging. "Though I also fly, and now have super speed and healing."

"Sounds like you hit the jackpot," Nigel noted.

"Oh, I had a little help from my friends, isn't that right, Bree," she replied happily, before looking down and ruffling her friend's flowing blonde hair. Brittany shied away from it a bit and Skye's paw went back to her side, before her muzzle piqued slightly. Looking over to Kinsey, who was talking excitedly with Judy (the bunny eagerly showing off a few carefully controlled examples of her powers), she made sure she was occupied before turning back, a slight frown on her face. "I met Bree when she came here, you know that?"

"I gathered it was something like that," Nigel noted.

"Well," she continued, scratching the back of her neck with her claws. "In that time, I've come to see myself as little Bree's big sister. I mean, given how cute she is, who wouldn't want to be!"

"Right," Delilah noted, beginning to guess where this was going.

"At the beginning, she was a scared little kit who'd had her life turned upside down. But she soon settled into life here and, while you two didn't turn up quite as much as she'd like, she still enjoyed seeing you." Her eyes narrowed a bit, before she carried on. She didn't sound angry, but she didn't sound happy as well. "Then, when she was eleven, she started talking about how she hadn't seen her mother for a bit… Then how both parents began seeing her less often… Then so little that she didn't care anymore…"

"Whatever you're going to say, I deserve it," Nigel said solemnly.

"WE deserve it," his wife added.

Skye nodded, before carrying on. "When she discovered her ice powers on her eighteenth by accident, got into an argument with Bogo given that she thought he didn't trust her, and chose to leave, I felt hurt. I was losing a close friend…" There was a faint wobble on her lips, before she continued. "But then I learnt what had happened, and saw how much it hurt her… And I was still injured at the time so I couldn't give her a hug…"

"Skye," Brittany began, moving over to hold one of the vixen's paws. "It's okay, we're building bridges again. We're trying to…"

"Don't hurt my little Bree again," Skye said sternly, holding a finger up. "You understand?"

"We do," the two foxes agreed in unison.

Skye looked on them sceptically for a bit. "We'll see when she gets back. I mean the first time I met you she was fifteen. Not long before, you'd celebrated her birthday with a text…"

"It was the middle of the week," Delilah said apologetically. "There was no way we could come…"

"But afterwards, when I first met you, she was so excited. She wanted to make it a great visit." Skye sighed slightly, shaking her head. "She later told me that you raced off for no reason before it had even begun…"

Brittany was silent, looking on at her parents, guilty looks plastered on their faces.

"I mean," Skye said, her voice going sadly quiet, "what were you thinking?"

"We were…" Nigel began. "We were thinking, oh god, the babysitter is telling us that she thinks our little four year has distemper…"

Skye's eyes widened at that and she flew up into the air, her paws covering her mouth. Brittany was surprised too, but was quickly distracted by the gust of wind coming from her rising friend. "OH GOD!" the creamed coloured vixen gasped, a look of horror on her face. "Was she okay!? That thing can be lethal… Didn't she get the vaccine, or…"

"She wasn't sick," Nigel interrupted, his paws out. A look of anger came over his muzzle. "It turned out that our arctic fox babysitter had turned the heating off and the aircon on to keep comfortable and didn't realise that Kinsey was cold."

Skye blinked a bit before giggling. "Oh god! That's like a comedy film…"

"I guess it's funny looking back," Nigel said, "but to honestly answer your question… To honestly…. I felt guilty beforehand about what we were doing, and I really wanted to make this trip special. I… I really wanted to have a long day with Brittany, and for us to enjoy it. I was even planning on talking with Bogo, trying to get the guts to ask him for advice on what to do… Though if I would have enough guts to go through, I don't know…"

Brittany's eyes widened as he spoke, and she stepped forwards a bit as he carried on.

"-I probably wouldn't have, but who knows… I was nervous at first, but trying to will myself up to talk with Bogo. Then I got the text, and I felt panic and fear… And when I learnt the truth… and when I learnt the truth…"

He paused, flinching as his wife put a paw on his shoulder, before he carried on. "I was relieved, but then so mad that this chance to make it up to Brittany... Maybe to get that weight off my chest… had gone. And I felt so rotten and sick with myself, knowing I'd let my daughter down AGAIN… And… And I did try to text. I tried to call, saying that we'd arrange something soon. But Brittany said that she didn't mind, and I assumed that being fifteen she'd gotten her own life and was happy to live it…"

.

.

…

"I did have my own life," Brittany said sadly, fussing the floor with her foot paw. "But, at the same time, I was used to being disappointed. I guess I chose not to raise my hopes so that they wouldn't get lowered."

.

"The fact that I set you up to be disappointed in us…I'll regret it for the rest of my life," Nigel said.

"And I'll regret not nagging a whole lot more," Brittany said, shaking her head. She looked up though, a smile growing on her muzzle. "But thank you for telling me that. And I guess I'm sorry for making you feel like I didn't need you anymore." She stepped forwards, this time taking her parents in for a larger hug, holding them tighter. They hugged back, only stopping when interrupted.

"Aaaaaaaawwwwwww!"

The three looked up to Skye who was flying up near the ceiling, her head tilting to its side and resting on its palms.

"Sorry that I had to be so cloudy then… But I hope you have a great time and come back loving each other so much that it makes me cringe… And believe me, you need a lot of love to do that!"

Brittany chuckled. "Thanks for that Skye."

"A pleasure, Bree," Skye chirped back, giving a quick salute.

"Kinsey, time to go," Delilah called, the little vixen quickly racing away from Judy to meet them.

"Have a good time Brittany!"

"I will," she replied. "See you in a week, Judy. And you too, Skye!"

Taking her case, she waved at her friends as she and her family left the lobby, jumping into the waiting taxi.

.

.

The taxi was oddly quiet as they left the ZED campus and turned onto the main road. Kinsey had jumped up into Brittany's lap and was kicking her feet up and down, trembling slightly with excitement. Her sister meanwhile simply shook her leg up a bit here and there, smiling at the younger girls reaction. She felt oddly peaceful and, an idea striking her, she turned and blew out of her mouth. Channelling the peace, she cooled her breath down until it condensed and froze, a mist of white coming out.

"SNOW!" Kinsey exclaimed, her eyes wide as she reached up and tried to catch the misty flakes.

"Enjoying it, Kinsey?"

"Yeah Sis! This is so cool! I can't believe Mom and Dad didn't tell me about you sooner!"

Brittany paused from the statement, stopping her little power display in its tracks. It felt like a little stab to the heart and she looked away sadly, catching the buildings of the ZED campus finally vanishing as they turned around the hill on their way down.

"Kinsey dear…" Delilah said softly, "Could you… could you come over here?"

"Do I have to?" she pouted.

"It's… you should really be in a seat with a belt on," her father said. "Not on someone's knee. Come on dear."

"Uh-hu," she said, quickly walking over to her seat and buckling in.

…

Brittany still looked out of the window, focussing on the buildings they were moving past as they entered the outskirts of the meadowlands. The outside was suddenly replaced with darkness as they entered a tunnel, a tear dripping down from her eye and freezing there, as if taunting her.

"Hey, Brittany…"

She flinched slightly as a paw touched her shoulder, turning around to see her father, a nervous look on his face.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You… you took the explanation of why we left on that day well and, I was thinking, there were some other things we could explain."

Her eyes narrowed, a slight flash of anger going through her. "Other things you've kept from me?"

Nigel closed his eyes and breathed in. "Yes, though if you let me explain, I hope you will understand why."

…

"Go on," Brittany said cautiously.

…

"After… after the whole incident with the fire, one of the reasons we sent you to the ZED was because we were homeless… We had nothing… and we were worried you might go without food or shelter."

"Did… did you?" came a nervous question.

"No," Nigel sighed. "But we almost did. We were able to get a deposit and sign the tenancy for our new apartment, getting settled in. Things were looking up, and, with our finances all stable, we planned to start seeing you whenever your mother's and my day's off lined up. There was even talk of a holiday, well… a staycation, back then, though the ZED people were very much opposed to letting you stay a night or more…"

"Wait, what?" Brittany asked, suddenly confused. "WHY!?"

"They… they said that the whole idea of the program was for them to take care of the kids and stop them from causing damage by accident."

Brittany felt a quivering in her gut and a sudden sense of disgust, turning away as she did so. "When I first started there, I sort of thought of it as a prison…. I later decided that idea was silly, but I guess I was right the first time! It was a jail, or an asylum…."

They were still going through the tunnel, and the black window jolted as she hit her head on it. In all of the confusion and anger with her family, she'd always thought of the ZED as the good guys. Just like her family and, for a bit, her only family. But hearing that they'd actually pushed to keep her and her family apart, and might be just as responsible for the whole mess, felt like a kick in the stomach. At least she'd had them, but now…

"It wasn't as bad as it sounds," her mother interrupted, seeing that something was up. "When we got on from that receptionist and on to Bogo, he said that he could easily overrule them…"

"So why didn't he?" Brittany asked, lifting up her head and turning around.

"That feeds into what we were trying to tell you about," Nigel said. "We were thinking of having you over for a long weekend and preparing a plan for that when we got the letter…"

"What letter?"

"A court summons," her father said, her eyes going wide at the implication.

"What for!?"

"It was from the council, who owned our old apartment," Brittany's mother began, the blood draining from the face of the younger vixen. "They were suing us because of the fire damage to our flat, and on behalf of several neighbours who had damage to theirs…"

A chill took over the air, radiating out from Brittany as she struggled to process what had been said. "How….how long after was this?"

"Three months," Nigel said. "And it wrapped up after two years, shortly before we learnt about Kinsey." He chuckled bit, shaking his head. "In fact, I'm pretty sure our celebration about having it cleared is where…"

"Too much dear!" Delilah hurriedly barked out, but not before Brittany managed her own 'eeeeewwww' in disgust. Recovering from it, what had just been said rolled around her mind and she couldn't help but look down guiltily at her paws.

"I… I got you in trouble. I…"

"You didn't," her father stated. "As I said before, we won and they paid all our costs. But we were having to spend a lot on a lawyer before that, so much that we were just above the breadline, and the whole thing took up much of our free time. Time that we planned to use to visit you…"

…

"We… we both decided to not tell you about it," Delilah explained. "We thought that you'd feel so guilty already about the apartment, that it would be best if you didn't know this and feel even more so."

"Or fear that you were in trouble with the law and going to jail or something," Nigel added. "Even if you were underage."

Brittany looked up at them, thinking through what had just been said. There was a flash of light as they exited the tunnel, racing out into the shining whiteness of TundraTown. It lit up her face, and she smiled.

"Thanks, for doing that."

"Do you forgive us?" Nigel asked.

Brittany shrugged. "There's nothing to forgive."

…

"I think there is," he said slowly. He breathed in and huffed. "The council had this new hot-shot lawyer arguing for them. Dawn Bellwether."

Blinking a few times, Brittany's eyes widened. "Isn't she that sheep in politics? Making a whole fuss against the empowered, calling us dangerous?"

"The same," Delilah said, before her husband carried on.

"She kept on calling us parents who'd failed to keep control of a lethal child. Said that… said that you were a danger, a menace, who likely burnt the whole place down because of a tantrum or something. That we should have taken precautions and thought of others beforehand, and our failure to do so had almost cost several mammals their lives…"

Brittany felt a bubble of anger build in her but bit it down.

"Our lawyer, meanwhile, argued that mistakes like this happen… But also that, on finding how 'dangerous' and 'uncontrollable' you were, we did the responsible thing and sent you to the ZED for containment."

"Containment!?" she asked, malice in her voice.

"Those were the words he used," Nigel said with a shrug. He looked down though, unable to look his daughter in her eyes. "In private, he also said that bringing you out for a weekend or so would ruin our case… make us seem irresponsible… And I told myself that we'd do so just until it was all over…"

…

"Dad," Brittany began, feeling a tiny bit odd as she used that word. She hadn't used it very often, and in a very long time.

"I don't want you to think that this is me making excuses," he said, pushing a paw out. "Because I know it's not one… And I know I should have been stronger… But… but having everyone talk about how dangerous you were… having everyone talk about how you could cause these accidents, and how it was safe for you at the ZED. And not being able to see you that much… I… I… I think I started to believe those words myself. And I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry that I let them get to me."

…

Brittany turned away, looking out at the buildings they were beginning to fly past. Taller, more industrial, as they slowly approached TundraTown port.

…

"Aren't you going to say you accept it?"

She turned back to look at Kinsey, Delilah doing so as well. "Kinsey, dear. It's not as simple as that."

"Why not?"

"Because we were very stupid, and we did some things that really hurt Brittany. That made her feel like we didn't love her, or…"

"But you keep saying you love her," she said. "And you keep saying sorry. Why can't you get along!"

"I'm trying to," Brittany interrupted. "But it'll take time. That's what this is all about. We spent so long apart, I forgot what they were like, and they me… but we've got one week together. If it goes well, we can get another organised. Then maybe another…and if that all goes well, then one day we'll get along just like any other family. But Kinsey, it'll take time. You understand?"

"I think," she said, nodding her head up and down.

"Good," Delilah said, brushing Kinsey's back with her paw. She turned to look at Brittany and smiled, but was stuck on the other side of the taxi so couldn't reach. Instead she flicked her eyes side to side. Brittany looked to her right and saw her father, sitting there awkwardly. Looking down, she reached a paw out and took his in it, feeling him hold back.

"Mum, Dad… I forgive you for that," she said, noticing Kinsey's eyes widened.

"Thank you sis," she chirped.

Brittany smiled a bit, before carrying on. "I just needed a little time to think it through."

"Good thing that," he father said, turning around slightly. "Looks like we're here."

Indeed they were and, as their taxi stopped, they stepped out, all of them looking up at the big cruise ship moored in front of them.

.

Later that night they arrived at their cabin. It was as narrow as Brittany's room at the ZED, but contained two bedrooms with bunk beds as well as a bathroom. There was a big window on the outside, with its own little balcony, and the large lounge had some big fluffy sofas, plus a huge widescreen TV. Delilah came in first, leaving the door open for her two daughters and, finally, her husband.

"Ooooh," he groaned, hauling in Brittany's case. "Is it me, or is the boat leaning slightly to this side now…"

He pulled back a bit as Brittany turned to face him, only to relax as she let out a big chuckle. "You too!? Seriously…"

Kinsey meanwhile was jumping up and down on the furniture, the little kit practically in heaven. "This-is-so-cool-this-is-so-cool-this-is-so-cool-this-is-so-cool-this-is-so-cool-this-is-so-cool…"

"You can say that again," Delilah noted, before noticing that the balcony door was ajar, the cold TundraTown air coming in. She walked over and closed it, before looking over to the climate control. Turning it up, she felt a trickle of warmth coming out of the fans, all designed more for aircon than heating.

"Mum, I'm cold…"

Kinsey's activities had ceased, and she was wandering over to her mother and cuddling her for warmth. Delilah sighed, before looking at Brittany, her eyes widening. "Dear, I hope you don't find any offence in me…"

She caught on and shrugged. "No offence taken." She felt a few nerves though, and wandered into the bathroom to start up. Closing her eyes, building up some anger inside her, she held the palms of her hands in front of her and watched as the air inside grew warm and then hot. The heat radiated out and slowly, carefully, she stepped outside. Kinsey looked on, awe-inspired, while a slight smile grew across her mother's face. Nigel, meanwhile, had a neutral look on his face and stood still, taking the odd calming breath. Keeping her focus dead on the heat, making surer than sure that it was contained and safe, Brittany carried on until the whole room was warmed up, before snuffing it out.

'CLAP- CLAP- CLAP- CLAP- CLAP- CLAP- CLAP- CLAP- CLAP'

She turned to see Kinsey clapping away hard, jumping up and down slightly on her toes. "That was cool! That was cool…!" She paused, thinking for a bit, before blurting out. "I mean that was warm!"

All of the other Voxens shared a giggle at that, Kinsey quickly following in response. She walked up to Brittany and gave her another big hug. "You're a warm big sister, Brittany."

She rolled her eyes. "I know."

"This holiday, you're going to be the best big sister EVER!"

"Yeah…" Brittany replied, a bit unsure of herself.

"Kinsey," her mother added softly. "I know Brittany will try… But just remember that she's new to being a big sister and hasn't had much practice…"

"That's our fault," her father interjected.

"So be a bit forgiving, because she may make mistakes," Delilah continued. "And you're new to being a little sister too, so you might also make mistakes."

"Oh," Kinsey replied.

"But I'm sure your big sister will forgive you."

"Of course I will Kinsey," Brittany replied.

"Thanks Sis!"

.

.

.

Later that night, the whole family settled down to watch some TV. Brittany had been given the chance to choose what they were going to watch and had settled for some family films that she'd loved before going off to the ZED. She hadn't seen many of them for over a decade and enjoyed seeing them again. Even Kinsey, who'd been a bit upset that her favourite film hadn't been chosen, was soon won over, clapping along and singing the songs. They ordered some fish and chips from one of the onboard restaurants and munched through them as night slowly settled outside. Some ice-cream later and they were back down on the sofas, binge watching once more. Brittany felt more comfortable sitting with Kinsey, nestling up to her slowly but surely, while her parents sat with each other. The two young vixens watched and laughed, and soon their tails were wrapping up around each other, arms fixed in tight hugs. Wherever she was embraced she felt warm and comfy, and whenever her sister moved or stirred she felt the sea of happiness in her peak up like a wave, forcing a big dumb smile onto her muzzle. Soon she was catching her paw brushing along a back, or her nose moving forwards to gently boop a forehead. She couldn't help it! She knew then, a little kiss planted on a cheek being the only outside sign, that she was loving this, and loved her sister.

"I'm getting the top bunk!" Kinsey complained at one point.

"Nu-Huh," Brittany countered, holding her paw out and pointing her thumb at herself. "I get big sister privileges, I get the top bunk!"

They carried on watching, slowly getting more tired. They were casting off at midnight, starting with a short hop to Outback Island, and Kinsey had insisted on staying up to see them leave. In the middle of one film Brittany looked down to see her flat out asleep on top of her, rising and falling with her chest. She gave her nose a cheeky boop, but let her be.

A bit later, her parents came over, Delilah placing her paw down on her scruff, ready to lift her up and take her to bed. Brittany put her paw up though. "Let her have this," she said.

They did, and, five minutes before midnight, Brittany shook her sister awake.

"Wha…what?" she murmured.

"Rise and shine if you want to see us leave."

She stood up and, together with her parents, they went out onto the balcony. The night air was bracing but they held out as the rumble of the engines began. Down below, mammals on the quayside were untying the mooring lines and, slowly, they began to move. Brittany looked down and saw her sister give a sleepy smile. "Holiday…" she began, arms outstretched, before her little celebration morphed into a big yawn, her mouth gaping open and tongue curling up.

"Right, bedtime I think," Delilah announced.

"But I wanna stay up some more," Kinsey whined.

"Bed Kinsey, or I'll take you by your scruff if you don't go," her father lectured.

She stood up tall and pouted, refusing to yield, only for her eyes to go wide as she felt the back of her neck getting pinched. Her limbs went limp, a frown growing on her face, as Brittany bit her nape and lifted her up. The odd method of carrying got a few chuckles from everyone, bar Kinsey of course, and Brittany felt a wash of silly happiness flow over her.

"I'm not tired…" her sister mumbled as she was carried back inside. Nigel and Delilah had warm smiles on their muzzles and Brittany, even though hers was busy carrying her little sister, was no different. They entered their room, Kinsey getting dropped down and clambering onto her bed, as Brittany turned to her case.

"Sorry, but lower bunk for you."

Turning around, her eyes widened as she saw her little sister flat out asleep on her bed, slowly curling up in on herself. Brittany got a canary yellow nightie on before stepping over, slowly curling up Kinsey some more before tucking her in. She put her hands on the ladder and started to climb up before pausing, turning down again. She leant in and gave a small kiss to the little vixen's cheek.

"Night… Sis," she said, before tucking herself in for the night.


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: I would like to thank the splendid Cimar of Turalis for proofing this.**

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 **Chapter 2**

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Brittany woke with a long yawn, stretching out as the sunlight entered her cabin through the small porthole. Fussing up her hair and slipping off the bunk, she paused at the top of the ladder, a smile growing on her muzzle.

Feet off the rung, and she slid down the rails, landing on the floor gracefully. A look down to her left and her smile grew as she spotted Kinsey fast asleep, still tired out after the late night before. She was very much a cinnamon roll this morning, the tip of her tail resting between her ears. Her newfound sisterly instincts kicking in, Brittany leant forwards to place a gentle kiss on her cheek, before quietly leaving the room.

Her parents were already up and dressed, her mother out on the balcony and watching the sea flow past while her father nursed a cup of coffee.

"Morning Brittany," he offered.

She gave a lukewarm "morning" back, the bliss she'd felt earlier deflating somewhat as he came into view.

…

"Anything the matter?"

She shrugged, turning away. "Nothing, I guess…"

He looked on, a sceptical expression on his muzzle. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she said, a paw waving up.

"Certain?"

" _Yes…"_ she replied, a hint of a growl coming involuntarily from the back of her muzzle.

He backed away a bit, gulping slightly, before he cleared his throat. "Brittany…"

Her ears flicked back with irritation as she heard the concerned tone he was speaking in, and she cut him off. "Is giving an honest answer another thing that you don't trust me with?"

…

The room seemed to go silent after she spoke, just the sound of the wind and waves from outside coming through. Brittany turned to face the floor, her muzzle scrunching up with irritation, more at herself than him. She hadn't meant to get that mad, or speak in that tone, or with that kind of statement, but it came out before she could think it through. With time to think now, she just felt a bit crappy for snapping like that.

An uncomfortable paw lightly touched her own, feeling oddly strange, and she turned to look at it.

"I want to make absolutely sure that I don't hurt you again," her father said, sounding sincere. "And I think part of that is making absolutely certain that I know exactly how you feel, so I don't just end up seeing another smiling face and using that to tell myself that you're fine inside. Do you understand, or…"

"I do," she replied with a sigh, turning up to face him. He smiled back, and she felt like giving a tiny one back in return.

"Do you want to talk about it now? Or later?"

She turned away from him again, slowly bringing her paws up over her eyes and groaning. "I think Kinsey has won me over," she said tiredly. "She's my little Sis, alright. No going back from there, I'm smitten."

"That's great dear," her father happily said. "But what's the matter?"

"I woke up and had an 'aaaawww' moment with her," Brittany explained, "and that kind of deflated when I saw you."

"…Oh," he said. Glancing up to him, she saw him turn away slightly, his ears drooping down and muzzle and tail sagging. His paw left hers and went back to his side.

"It wasn't deliberate or anything," she elaborated. "I just…I just deflated. I'm guessing I still know what you did, and that just let my air out, even if I'd rather it stayed in…"

"Well, hopefully we'll work on that," he slowly said. He paused, thinking for a bit, before looking over his shoulder. "Is it the same with your mother?"

Brittany's eyes widened a tiny bit and, looking over, she saw her mother outside, the wind whipping at her fur. She wasn't sure what she thought of her, given that she'd always been by her father's side throughout the last few months. In anger, or interrogation, or reconciliation, they'd always been beside each other, and she'd held them guilty together. Then again, she knew that she'd been against keeping Kinsey a secret, though hadn't done anything to take a stand. At the same time, it had been her father who'd been doing the apologising, the explaining, the taking of her righteous anger. She realised that the last time she'd been alone with her mother for any amount of time had been before she was sent to the ZED.

"I'm not sure," she said.

""Maybe… maybe spend some time with her today," Nigel suggested.

Brittany nodded. "Maybe," she replied. She stood up and slowly walked forwards, slipping out onto the balcony. The cut of the wind drove through her fur, and the tang of salt in the air became far more pervasive, cutting refreshingly through her sinuses. While quiet on her paws, she wasn't silent, and a flick of one of Delilah's ears signalled that she was detected.

"Morning Brittany."

"Morning… Mum," came the awkward response, the second word hitching slightly on the back of Brittany's tongue, as if it was quickly double checking that it was the correct one to use.

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah," she replied, stepping up besides her. The sea extended off towards the horizon, only separated from the sky by a tiny slither of land, far off in the distance.

"Good to know."

Brittany's paw slipped down and somehow found her mothers, a soft grip quickly being returned. The younger vixen felt a slight tingle as it happened, the action both surprising and a tiny bit comforting. There was still a bit of the odd awkwardness in it that she'd had with her father but far less of it, the good feelings quickly overriding the bad. She gripped back tighter, feeling happier somehow. A smile on her muzzle, she turned to face her mother who was looking back. The two pairs of eyes locked, and smiles grew wider, and Brittany felt a warmth slowly blowing over her. It wasn't anything to do with her internal power, it was something much softer and natural. Looking closer, she got a good look at her mother. Her face showed her increased age but still, without a doubt, it was the same one that she'd looked up to for comfort as a little kit. Yes, there was still that uncomfortableness. That slight aftertaste that hung around, reminding her to be cautious or wary, but it seemed far less strong and the forces fighting against it more powerful. A slight hint of what she'd felt with Kinsey the night before returned and, slowly moving forwards, their two noses booped together.

Her two paws interlocked with her mothers, she slowly stepped back, looking at her. She saw a little tear escape the edge of her eye and, pulling up her feelings, chose to spoke. "When was the last time it was just us doing stuff?"

"Too long," she answered.

"Maybe, later today," Brittany nervously began to suggest, "We could maybe have some mother and daughter time…?"

Another tear, and even a slightest of slight sobs. "Of course, dear. How could I ever say no?"

.

.

It was an hour before Kinsey rose up, still looking tired from the night before. She was hungry though, which trumped her urge to go back to bed greatly. So, after Delilah had helped her brush her fur and both she and Brittany had changed, they headed out. It was only a short walk to the heart of the cruise ship, a great carnival walk surrounded by shops and restaurants and other attractions, which rose up around it like the walls of a canyon. Hundreds of mammals were up, and the weather was warm, Brittany was thankful that she'd gone for a pink top and a skirt rather than anything heavier. Kinsey lead them on, pointing excitedly at the various offerings for breakfast and, while Nigel and Delilah were more interested in the Purrissian café, they soon settled for a big pancake and waffle house.

Her parents both had the standard thin pancakes, four to each one's plate, though he went for maple syrup as compared to her honey and nuts. Brittany, meanwhile, chose to be adventurous, trying some crispy mekitsi served with blueberry jam and thick yogurt. Kinsey, naturally, had wanted a chocolate covered chocolate chip waffle served with chocolate ice cream, all drowned down with a massive glass of chocolate milk. Brittany had chuckled as Nigel, staring in horror at the order, had reduced it to a blueberry waffle with some chocolate sauce, and plenty of strawberries.

Even when told that they served canine safe options for all their chocolate, Nigel had been insistent, though he did allow a small chocolate milk.

Despite the low amount of the brown stuff, Kinsey's face soon looked like it was covered in it.

"Got a little bit more," Brittany pointed out, poking her claw into her sister's muzzle, right in the middle of all her whisker stubs.

She pouted back, grumbling, much to the amusement of the others.

.

Back to the cabin, they relaxed a bit as their food went down. Each Voxen took their time to brush their teeth and they were soon out again, seeking fun this time.

.

"Merry-go-round! Merry-go-round!"

Back before she'd gone to the ZED Brittany had always preferred the teacups, but she was happy to join her sister on the little carousel that he been set up. They climbed into a little power boat, turning around and slowly rising up and down, imitating the waves.

"Enjoying this?"

"Uh-hu…"

"Doesn't sound like much," Brittany pushed on, watching as her sister turned to her.

"Yeah…."

"You can do better than that!"

Kinsey stepped up and shouted out, "YEAH!"

"That's more like it," she cheered on, clapping. Going around, she spotted her parents come into view and raised her paw into a little wave.

...

"You can do better than that," Kinsey said as her parents vanished again.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Think they'll remember your wave more than mine?"

"Oh," Brittany said, trailing it off as she hunkered down, eager for the challenge. "Game on."

They came around, and there they were again. Brittany, standing up, waved both her arms up and down rapidly, Kinsey doing the same but jumping as well.

When they eventually got off, both parents came up to them.

"Those were some big waves, girls," Delilah said, though she spoke to Brittany.

"Aaawww…" her sister moaned. "A draw?"

.

.

There was a large, open, playground and, given the sizes of the different mammals who may use it, there was no problem with both sisters having some fun. Brittany naturally hung back at first, being eighteen and such things being below her…

Then again, while the ZED had a small playground that she'd used when she was younger, this one seemed to have a lot more options…

It was only after Kinsey pleaded that Brittany stepped up. She chased her sister down through the climbing frame, up the nets and through the tunnels, only being caught off guard here and there when her sister went down a passage or through a gap too small for her to fit through.

"Can't catch me! Can't catch me!"

Brittany finally did, though, at the top of a slide and pole tower. A quick tickle attack followed before Kinsey surrendered.

"Want to go down the slide with me?"

"Or the pole," Brittany suggested.

"Nu-uh, I'm scared of the pole," the younger vixen said.

"But it's easy!" her sister said out loud. "You hold onto it, then let go a bit, and you slide."

"But what if I fall?"

"You hold on a bit tighter," Brittany deadpanned.

"But what if I slip?"

"The whole point is you're slipping."

Kinsey still looked unconvinced but Brittany, shaking her head, picked her up. "Hey! Let me down!"

She kicked slightly as Brittany held her over to the pole. "Come on, just wrap your arms and legs around it…"

Kinsey wiggled a bit and squirmed. "I'm gonna fall!"

"No you're not," Brittany dismissed, holding Kinsey on. "Now grab on, I'm gonna teach you how to do it."

She relented, gripping the metal tightly.

"See! Easy!"

"But what if I fall…" she cried slightly, a few tears and sniffles coming from her.

"Oh why are you crying," Brittany complained slightly, "I'll catch you if you're going too fast. Now let go a bit."

…

There was a faint little squeak, and Kinsey moved down slightly, eeeping as she did so. Brittany's paws lay just off her, ready to catch. "Now do it again," she instructed, "but keep doing it."

Another squeak, and Kinsey slowing began sliding down. She looked up, letting her paws out a bit, going down a bit faster. Out of Brittany's reach, she slowly but surely reached the ground, stepping away from the pole as she did so.

"See. I told you it was easy."

"It was scary…" she said sadly, Brittany shaking her head at the tone. She stepped forwards, loosely grabbing the pole and sliding down in a tenth of the time it took her sister.

"No it isn't," she dismissed, shaking her head as she met up with her sister again.

"Not to you…" Kinsey snivelled, the sight bringing a bit of sympathy to her sister. She blinked a few times, placing a paw down onto her shoulder and patting it.

"Well it isn't to you either now is it? You've done it, haven't you?" She felt a bit of concern at how Kinsey was looking, before speaking more warmly. "It won't be scary next time."

…

"How did you get so good at it?"

Brittany paused, shrugging. "I don't know. But I suppose I'd have to be good at it, given that I work as a super firemammal."

Kinsey paused, before smiling. "I guess…" she still sounded down though, and paused for a bit before speaking again. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"You… you know you can make fire when you're angry, and ice when you're sad?"

"Yes," Brittany replied, slowly walking with her back to their parents. "Though it's only when I feel really angry or excited, or something really cold… Like being at peace or alone."

"So you have to feel sad when you want to put out fires?"

Brittany thought for a bit, before replying. "Either that, letting me chill it down, or a hot emotion, which I used to control the flames and pull them away. I then feel less of it and the fire goes out."

"But you have to feel angry or sad all the time you want to help people," Kinsey said sadly. "That mustn't be nice."

"Well, its complex. I can feel something, pulling that feeling up, and then let it go. I feel that being angry is easiest for the hot stuff, so I feel angry at the fire. The cold stuff is trickier, but I use a feeling of peace for that, which I like."

"So like, if I remember a tantrum, and feel that mad, then let it go. Is it like that?"

"Kind of," Brittany said. They'd reached her parents now, though she kept looking on at her sister.

"But can't you ever get angry without going fiery?"

Brittany paused, thinking. "I have to let that anger or that peace out to make fire or ice. It's hard to explain but… You know how, when you're mad, you have these screams and shouts in you. Or you're speaking but not shouting, even though you feel that you want to?"

"Yeah."

"Well it's like that. If I'm angry, I have to want to let that fire out. I can be angry without being fiery, like you can be angry without shouting… -or if you're angry at yourself but not someone else, but sometimes when you're really angry you can't help but let it out. I discovered my ice powers after being sent out to put out a fire. I'd felt peace before but, succeeding at this, I felt so peaceful that I wanted to just let it out…. Which I did… much to my surprise."

"What about your magic wand?" Kinsey asked, "don't you need it to make fire? What's it for."

Brittany paused again, trying to find the right words. "Making fire without it is like lying on the floor, then deciding you want to run. You have to get up, warm up, start walking and then you're sprinting. With the wand… it's like being on the starting blocks of a race, you can jump right in. It also gives me a little flame that's easy to move around and control, rather than having to mess around forming one with my paws and then using it. It just makes things a lot easier and a lot more powerful. I mean, I wouldn't be able to fly without its help."

"Oh, okay, I think I get it," Kinsey said, nodding slightly. She seemed content now, though a new voice quickly piped up.

"Do you have one that helps with your ice powers too?"

It was Delilah, and Brittany turned to face her and shook her head. "None of the current ones, but that's because fire is still my main power. Also, with technology, it's easier to create heat than cold."

"Couldn't you stick a small refrigerator in there? Spray out some cold mist which you then use?"

Brittany nodded. "Karen, the hare who designs these things, is actually building something like that. She says it's a mix between a staff, a thermos, a freezer and a super soaker. It chills down some super salty water which is sprayed out, and the idea is that I can then use it as an anchor for my cold and control that better…"

"So with that you could point at a cloud and turn it into snow?" Kinsey asked, her bigger sister laughing slightly at the idea.

"Maybe," she replied with a hint of a grin as her sister jumped and clapped with glee. "It might do nothing for my cold powers, but if it does work then she'll install that system into my mark four staff."

"Cool!" she exclaimed. "We can then build a snowmammal together!"

Brittany just rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of cool," Nigel said, "I'm getting a bit warm. Who wants to get themselves into a pool?"

Kinsey exploded into a flurry of eager 'me's' and 'I do's', Delilah also saying that it was a good idea. Brittany though paused at the suggestion, looking at the others as a flick of worry came through her before she spoke.

"Sounds great."

.

.

A few hours later, Brittany was bathing on a lounger, feeling the warmth of the sun heat up her fur and permeate down to her skin. A book in her paws, her tongue methodically panting in and out to keep herself cool, she flicked through the pages, slowly progressing through.

"BRITTANY"

Sighing and looking up, she saw Kinsey, dressed in a pretty pink bathing suit, pulling herself up and out of a pool.

"What Sis?"

"I want you to play with me…"

Brittany's eyes narrowed shut slightly, an annoyed grunt coming out of her muzzle. "I'm feeling a bit off. I…"

"PLEEEAAAAASSSSSEEEEEE!"

Suddenly assaulted with puppy dog eyes, Brittany shied away, her eyes focussed back onto her book and reading intently.

…

"Brittany, hon." She looked up to see her mother come over, a paw coming down and resting on her shoulder. She shied away at first but felt an odd tingle as the contact was made, a little bit of comfort coming out and spreading around her. She relaxed, but still felt a bit cautious, wondering what was going to be said.

"Yes Mum?"

"If you don't feel comfortable in the water, that's fine. Kinsey will understand."

Brittany felt a tinge of worry, shaking her head and jumping up. "I'm fine!" she snapped slightly, her mother stepping back a bit. She put down her book and walked over to the pool, grabbing the rails and lowering herself in. The water on her pads felt cool, and the little chill as the water permeated through her legs was a bit disconcerting. It wasn't that bad though and she carried on lowering herself, pausing as the water approached the area between her legs but pushing through regardless. Down the ladder, before her feet hit the bottom. She sighed with relief as it only came up mid-way up her chest. Had she been wearing one of her new bikinis, rather than her purple bathing suit, it would only be at the base of her top section.

"Come and play!"

Looking over, Brittany stepped forwards, adjusting to the drag of the water before reaching Kinsey. The little vixen jumped away though, quickly doggy paddling around her, her head snapping this way and that, almost teasingly.

"Catch me."

A little flash of excitement spreading across her muzzle, Brittany began pushing forwards, quickly adopting a moonwalk as she tried to catch up. It soon deflated though, given that Kinsey seemed to be at least part minnow. She swam this way and that, always out of her reach.

"You're not even trying!"

Brittany grumbled, pushing on faster, a plan forming in her head. Having got in at the deeper end of the pool, she slowly began herding her sister up to the shallow one. Closer and closer until, finally, her speed was faster than Kinsey's. She closed in and lunged…

The little vixen leapt out of the way.

Brittany plunged into the water.

It came around her, pushing up her nose and down into her throat. It poured into her ears while her eyes, open to the elements, were assaulted by the sting of the salt. Her back feet off the floor and her hand paws unable to find purchase, she thrashed around, a scream coming out of her mouth.

She opened her eyes, but immediately regretted it, the salt water stinging in and making her weld them closed again.

Her paws finally reached the floor and she pushed up.

Her head, at last breaking the surface, was free from the pressing muzzle of the water and able to breath. Taking in a massive inhale, Brittany breathed in and out deeply, letting her panic slowly subside.

"Over here, Brittany…"

She didn't care though. Still blinded, she rubbed her eyes and blinked, shying back from the pain of the salt again.

Walking backwards and forwards, arms out, she tried to find her way around but was lost. She even became acutely aware of the fact that she, like most foxes and almost all vixens, had trimmed her whiskers, even though they wouldn't have helped a bit.

"Over here…"

"I can't see!"

She stumbled around a bit some more, only feeling the water come up her body again.

"I… I can't see! I CAN'T SEE!"

She felt panic rising in her, and even feared that she might have let out a flick of flame or something.

She heard a splash, and water moving, before a comforting paw came around her. She let it guide her out, her arms holding on tight to the figure beside her. Her nose, still blocked up with salt water, couldn't tell who it was, and her brief attempt to see was quickly ended in a flash of pain.

"It's okay dear, just stand still."

It was her mother, and she stopped, letting a pair of pads come up to her eyes and slowly begin to rub. Then came a towel, gently dabbing around them, removing the water logged in her fur.

"There-there," came the comforting voice, loosening the pent-up tension in her greatly. The work on her eyes done, she slowly opened them, her mother coming into view. She had a concerned look on her face, before she leant forwards to hold her in a hug. Brittany leant forwards and embraced her too, hugging her tight before letting her go.

"Thanks…" she mumbled, as a hot wave of humiliation came over her. She let go, and began turning away.

"You're…." her mother began, before deflating. "Oh… you're welcome."

Brittany paused, her ears flicking as she heard her mother's voice depress slightly, before turning back. "It's not you," she blurted out, reassuringly. "It was… it was just a bit embarrassing…"

Her mother nodded and smiled. "Thanks. Are you sure you're okay in the water?"

"Just… I'll just get the goggles from my bag for next time," she mumbled, moving over to the ladder and hauling herself out. She stepped over to a little cubicle where she undid her swimsuit and shook herself dry, before putting it back on and returning to her seat. Kinsey was there too, and the little vixen began jumping up and down. "Do-you-want-to-go-on-the-water-slide!"

"Kinsey," she heard her father warn, but she stopped him with a paw held up.

"I… I can go on one," she said.

"The rainbow slide?" her sister suggested, pointing over to a bank of rainbow coloured slides. Mammals, sometimes whole families as one, went down it and dropped into the deep pool at the base. She frowned, before noticing a steeper flume, a mammal just exiting it at speed and creating a great wake as he skidded through the shallow braking zone.

"That one, the _fast_ one," Brittany said, noticing as Kinsey turned towards it and gulped.

…

It was black inside, even with her night vision, but she could feel how fast she was going. The rivets in the tube almost cut into her as she was pushed into a curve, before suddenly emerging into the light. Her feet kicked up a great spray and, even with her goggles on, she closed her eyes and shielded her face as it was thrown up. The force on her quickly subsided though as she came to a halt, before stepping up and out of the way. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and all she could feel was the thrill of what had just happened. That was until an errant thought entered her mind, telling her that it was very good thing that adrenaline and excitement tended to have few effects on her powers. Her musings though were cut short as a scream emerged from the end of the tube.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Kinsey shot out, quickly coming to a halt. The poor thing looked shaken but, as she stepped up and heaved with adrenaline fuelled pants, she giggled with excitement.

"Enjoy that?" Brittany asked, pulling up her goggles to look at her sister. The little vixen eagerly nodded her head, before pointing over at another slide. A goat kid was sliding down it fast, quickly entering a large bowl area which he spun around, rapidly sliding towards the hole in the centre. He crossed the threshold and fell, splashing down into a deep pool and not emerging for several seconds.

Brittany gulped, stepping away slightly before looking at her sister. "I-uh…. I'd prefer the surf board machine!"

A little while later the pair were lining up by the wave simulator, ready for their go. Kinsey, watched on by her parents, got in first with a bodyboard. She lay down on it, nervously moving back and forth, getting the grip of everything. Brittany watched on eagerly, before her ears heard her mother's out of tune singing.

" _Na-nah-nah-na-naaaa-nahhhhhh, Surfing Sahara square….."_

She turned and smiled at her as a splash rang out. Kinsey had wiped out, and was pushed by the water to the exit area.

"Well done," her mother called, Brittany joining in, as her father went over to retrieve her. She was up next, with a proper surfboard. Stepping out, the water cutting through her ankles, she lay down on her board and felt everything shift.

She carefully kept her position safe and rigid at first, before deciding to try something a bit more adventurous. While using her wand to fly mainly relied on her fire powers to direct the flames, keeping her steady, body balance also had a role to play. She lay her paws well apart and slowly stood up on all fours, carefully testing her manoeuvrability by shifting her weight about.

"You're doing good!" she heard her father shout, the sounds of his encouragement sending a sudden and unfamiliar rush through her. She gritted her teeth and began pulling herself into the middle of the board, then standing up. Her hands let go and she stood tall, feeling epic as she did so. Another rush of emotions came seconds later, from the sound of it all three members of her family cheering. It was a real thrill and she turned to smile at them, only to feel her balance falter a bit.

She turned forwards and tried to correct it, only to overcorrect.

Before she knew what was happening the board was gone from beneath her, and she was hit by the wave and pushed back. The water beneath her vanished though as she landed on the exit area. She stood up by herself though and, taking her goggles off, she looked on at her smiling family and felt proud.

.

.

Lunch was some street food, Brittany having a falafel wrap, which they ate together. After that, though, she and her mother split off from Kinsey and Nigel, planning to spend some time together. Naturally, they ended up in a shop.

.

"This looks nice, doesn't it?" Delilah said, looking over a small necklace. Brittany looked at it too and shrugged.

"I think so."

Her mother looked back and paused, thinking. "I thought you liked shopping?"

"Sometimes," she replied, holding her paw out and shaking the fingers a bit. "I mean, I don't tend to buy that much stuff…"

Delilah frowned. "Then what's with your suitcase."

Brittany rolled her eyes, before stepping towards to the corridor that separate them from the menswear. "That's what happens when you're out with Skye and Judy, who keep on seeing things which they think will suit you so much…"

"You don't have to buy stuff if you don't want to," Delilah advised, Brittany giggling back.

"If they say that they're going to pay for it, do you say no?"

Her mother chuckled a bit. "Touche," she said, turning back to the jewellery. Brittany would have too, only to pause as she saw something. A group of mammals: a deer, two rams, a badger and a red fox had just entered and Brittany, for whatever reason, couldn't get her eyes off the last one. His ears were sharply pointed, as was his entire muzzle, giving the impression of a jet fighter, dangerous and ready to leap into action. His eyes were small too, and a deep dark amber, again giving the impression of a predator you wouldn't want to mess with. Even his fur colours, a deep dark red coat and dirty cream belly, added to the effect. He looked like bad news, like a biker or a bouncer and definitely like someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Yet…

Yet Brittany couldn't pull her eyes off him. She couldn't explain it, but she wanted to just look at him, take him in. Heck, she felt _drawn_ to him. An unnerving realisation came over her, a bit later than she should have had it, that this was a todd that was her age and she found him attractive.

Very attractive…

Dating, or even hanging out with other boys, had been something completely foreign to her at the ZED. Sure, she knew about the concept, and had the lessons and gone through the changes, but she'd never actually felt attracted to any of her classmates…

And the occasional look at pictures of well-toned todds on her computer hadn't gotten that far before some ZED firewall came up, blocking her from going further.

Now though, she was feeling this. She _wanted_ to be by that other fox. That total stranger. Yet she felt herself rooted to the floor as his small posse exited.

"Brittany."

"Yaaaaah!" she screamed, jolting in surprise. She turned to see her mother behind her, backing off in surprise as well.

"Ooops I…"

"You surprised me," Brittany said, holding her paws up and very flustered. "You surprised me…" She then felt a hot rush of embarrassment, making her want to hold herself close and tight and make herself small. He'd have heard that, wouldn't he…?

Delilah paused for a bit and leant out of the aisle, before coming up and hugging Brittany slightly. "Don't worry, he didn't see."

"Oh, thank god, I…" Brittany began before pausing, her eyes going wide with horror. "How… how did you?"

"I could smell it dear," she said, soothingly. "And seeing you gawk at that todd made it obvious."

Brittany just made an uncomfortable noise, not sure if she wanted to throw her mother away and run or just hold her tight. "You're going to lecture me now," she said quietly. "About staying away from boys. Or…"

"No dear," her mother said, chuckling as she pulled her into a hug. Brittany returned it, feeling a bit better for herself. "I don't have that right… In fact, I think I'd need to warn boys about making you upset. Things might get a bit… toasty for them."

Brittany let out a wet laugh, half raspberry-ing it as she collapsed slightly, paws on her knees for support. "No," she replied, wiping her eyes. "I'll do the ice queen on them, Mum. That'll show them."

"I'm not sure about that," her mother began. "I-uh… You're getting a little warm."

Her eyes went wide slightly and, sure enough, she realised that her powers were slipping a bit. She quickly pulled them in though and stood up, in front of her mum. "What should I do? I don't know…"

Her mother thought a bit. "Whatever feels right."

"What do you think of him," she asked, nervously.

Her mother was quiet for a bit, before speaking. "I think… I think you have real bad taste…"

Brittany groaned, rolling her eyes, though there wasn't any anger in it. She stood up and started walking with her mum. "What gives you the right to judge good taste?" she said jokingly. "I mean, was Dad 'good taste'?"

"I… " Delilah began, before shaking her head. "We met up when we found that we had something in common."

"How did you meet?"

"Well," she began, "I was working as a head waiter at a Pizza Den attached to a cinema. It was late at night though, so it was just me checking over the last few customers. Then, this pale looking fox comes stumbling in, looking like the sickest thing you can imagine."

"Really?" Brittany asked giggling. "That's how you met? He ate bad popcorn?"

"Not quite," her mother continued. "He sat down at the lightest, brightest booth, all hunched up and scared, and I could tell he was frightened. So, I went over and talked to him. His friends had been going out to a screening of some horror film or other, and pushed him to join, even though he didn't want to go. He got half scared to death before leaving halfway through. I mentioned how I didn't like those kinds of things too, I held his hand to comfort him and, after that, we exchange numbers… Things went from there."

"Awwww," Brittany said. "That's so sweet. You helping him and…" She suddenly cut off, her right paw slapping up into her face.

"Dear," her mother asked, concerned as her daughter let out a depressed moan.

"Let me guess," she grumbled. "He was watching Carrie, wasn't he?"

Delilah just looked on a bit, her head tilting to the side with confusion, before it righted again, her eyes widening.

"Horror film about girl getting psycho powers going on a killing spree, and he then gets a girl with flame powers!"

"It… it was The Silence of the Lamb," Delilah replied. Brittany looked up at her and paused, before shaking her head and slowly walking off, her mother close behind.

…

"So, Dad really doesn't like scary stuff."

"No dear."

"I mean, I get that I scared him," Brittany began, her paws up in the air. "But shouldn't the love you have for a child overrule that? It always should! And what kind of parent are you if it doesn't?"

The question hung in the air for a bit, before Delilah spoke. "When I learnt and told him, about Kinsey that is, he seemed happy and surprised. He did pause a bit, and say that we'd have to find a way of breaking this to you, but it seemed okay. We then went to bed, and…"

"Did he have a nightmare of me going full Carrie?" Brittany deadpanned.

"I… I'm not sure, but I think so," she said, sighing. She paused, bringing her paws up to her face. "I remember waking up, and he was in the bathroom. He looked so dreadful, and he jumped into me and said, 'we can't tell her'…."

"You disagreed at first, but then relented," the younger vixen said sadly, turning away.

"I know, and…"

"But why?" she said, turning around. She didn't look angry, just confused and a bit hurt. "But why…"

…

Delilah sighed, before stepping forwards. A paw came down onto Brittany's shoulder and she yanked it away, but her mother put it there a second time and it stayed put. "Brittany…" she began. "I love your father. I love you. And at that moment I was caught between the two I most love and it tore at my heart. I felt that whoever… whoever I sided with, I would make someone hurt… and I'm sorry it was your father I chose."

Brittany turned around, spotting the odd tear dripping out of her mother's eyes and, rather than feeling disgust or anything, she turned towards her, driven by a feeling of sympathy and concern.

"I'm sorry I didn't realise what he went through and try to talk some sense into him… I…"

"Hey," Brittany interrupted, lightly wrapping her arms around her mother. "Calm down."

She did so, before looking at her daughter and clearing her throat. "There's… there's something I've been meaning to show you. Back in our cabin."

.

Returning to the cabin, Brittany watched as her mother pulled out a small photo album, wrapped tightly in a bag. "When… when Kinsey began to get older, we had to hide all of these," she said, slowly opening it up. Brittany gasped as she saw the first picture, her mother, looking much younger, cradling a little kit with a shock of blonde hair in a hospital bed. She leant forwards, the back of her claws slowly stroking the cellophane protector, and gasped again as her mother turned the page. More pictures followed. Both her mother and father with her. Them taking her home. Her being nursed, or being given a tongue bath, or looking out wide eyed or sleeping curled up. There were those of her in a bath, screaming out loud with bits of steam coming off of her, the image prompting her mother to sigh.

"That was when we first saw your power," she said, "though we didn't learn about the fire stuff until you messed about with those candles on your third birthday."

More pictures followed. More and more. Her out in a pushchair, or making a mess with solid food in a highchair, or at a park. One of her hanging by her nape on a door mounted baby holder, her tongue peeking out and eyes crossed.

"Let us thank evolution for giving us foxes a mute button for our kits," her mother chuckled, before carrying on.

More pictures of her in a crib, or out and about.

Turning a page, Brittany's eyes widened as she saw what had to be the most humiliating baby picture of all time. She was dressed in nothing, bar a very saggy nappy, and had her arms reaching up and her eyes pleading out for a change. What made it so much worse though was that she held the new one in her mouth, the lips at the end of her muzzle pushed outwards and fanning out over it, almost as if they were trying to make her look derpy. The whole humiliating sight made her present-self want to hide and curl up into nothing.

"Can I have a look at that one?" she asked quietly, immediately pulling it out when she saw her mother nod.

"When I saw that, how could I not take a picture," her mother said with a chuckle. "Even funnier is the fact that your three new canine teeth punctured it and you leaked everywhere. Oh, I knew then that every future boyfriend of yours would…."

 _Poof….._

Delilah's eyes widened and she looked over to Brittany, the ashen remains of the embarrassing photograph crumbling into her in her paws. The younger vixen brushed them clean, a satisfied grin on her face, before turning back to the album. "Carry on," she said, happily.

That they did, watching on as Brittany grew and grew. The adult fox looked on fascinated as she saw the snapshots of her past, but felt a tinge of sadness as she watched herself growing older, knowing that it was about to end.

Then, they got there…

A single photograph on a page.

Brittany performing in a school play.

It had been put on at the end of the year, right before they broke up for summer. She looked on and saw a few of her old friends there, a pang of sadness going through her as she realised that it was the last time they were ever together.

She noticed little bits of ice forming on her fur, but didn't care at this point, slowly going over to close the book.

Her mother's paw stopped her, and she looked on slowly as the page was turned. Her eyes widened as she saw a picture of her at the ZED, holding up a little award she'd got for doing well at maths.

"H-how…" she gasped, before remembering. Clawhauser had one of those new ICarrots, he'd even let her play a bit a few times. And, many times, he'd ask her to smile for the camera.

"We asked members of the staff to send us photos and stuff," Delilah explained, before carrying on. More pictures of Brittany, reading or studying or playing. One with her doing a bit of a dance with Skye's astral projection. There was one with her holding her wand, fire coming out of the end, and another of her imitating the pose of the statue in the centre of the ZED. Then there were certificates and school reports too, and the odd letter she'd wrote to her parents as part of a project early on. More and more, on it went, and Brittany felt tears began to flow down her muzzle as they carried onwards. She noticed that the stain marks they were making were similar to ones already present, and the idea that her mother had cried over this only made her cry some more. Every now and again they'd pass a birthday, she and her friends around a big cake until, finally, just as the next one was due to appear they stopped. Brittany was bawling now, her mother sniffling, and the younger vixen turned to her and dove in, quickly being wrapped in her warm embrace. Somewhere along she realised that her body was covered in frost, the sadness pouring out from her, and with a sniff she pulled that in, her body returning to its normal temperature. Her mother didn't mention either of those occurrences. She did speak though, managing through the tears.

"I want you… I want you to know…. You were… you were gone but not forgotten, Brittany… I never forgot you."

"I know," Brittany replied through a sniff and, at that moment, any lingering anger or resentment she had for her mother went. She was a sad girl crying into her mother's arms, a mother who loved her, and nothing could change that.

.

* * *

 **AN: It's worth noting that Brittany's explanation of her powers is based on what I've seen. Kittah/ Variable may have different rules, in which case I'll take my bonk on the head with dignity.**


	4. Chapter 3

**I'd like to thank LapisLucius42 for proofing this. Feel free to check out his WW1 AU fics if you have some time to spare.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 3**

.

Stepping out of the cabin, Brittany smiled, everything seeming just a little bit clearer. That apprehension, that nervousness, that lingering doubt in her mind which, even as she consciously desired to love her parents again, had held her back from truly embracing them…

With her mother, it was no more.

Looking up at the vixen who had cradled and loved her, right the way back to her oldest memories, she saw her and nothing else.

Maybe that was why she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her, giving a light hug. "I love you."

"And I love you too, sweetheart," Delilah replied.

Brittany breathed in, feeling the slight tingle of bliss that came from those words, before slowing speaking out. "What now?"

"Well," she said, pondering for a second or two. "We're meeting up with your father and Kinsey later on at the Oceania club in several hours."

"Want to do something fun until then?" Brittany asked.

Delilah smiled slightly. "Fun sounds good, and I have an idea of what we can do."

"What is it?"

"Now where's the fun in telling?" she teased, as she disentangled herself from her daughter and began leading her to this unknown place.

"Any clues?" Brittany asked, walking behind her paw in paw.

Delilah let a faint smile grow across her face, before it transformed into a thoughtful look that carried on well past the point of awkwardness. Eventually she shook her head, unable to think of anything that approached the required pun factor.

Brittany didn't care though.

That was her mother, and she loved her all the same.

.

.

"Something ice related?" Brittany asked, as she awkwardly hobbled forwards.

"An ice surprise was too obvious," her mother noted as, together, they stood on the edge of the ship's small ice rink. It was tiny by the standards of those in TundraTown, but for what they were doing it would be fine.

"I can see that," her daughter replied as she slowly brought her blades down onto the ice. Her weight resting on both feet, and a steadying paw on the outer wall, she slowly balanced herself, getting used to the set up.

"Slow and steady. There we go," her mother reassured her, letting a little smile flick across the younger vixen's muzzle.

"I think I got this," she noted, her wobbles ending as she slowly pushed off. "It's just like roller-skating, and I may be out of practice, but I'm pre…-WHOAH!"

She screamed out as one of her blades slid back too far and she almost lost balance, only managing to save herself from a painful fall at the last second by grabbing the outer railing.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, Mum," Brittany reassured her, finding her footing again and slowly heading off. It reminded her of how she use to roller-skate, back when she still lived at home. She'd lost her old pair in the apartment fire, and there wasn't much capacity to get new ones or practice at the ZED. While she'd been good at it in the past, ten years of being out of practice had taken its toll. Then again, the inherent skill wasn't something you lost, and she was already feeling more competent with each stride forwards.

"You're doing great dear," came a happy voice as her mother, gliding effortlessly on her own skates, came up behind her.

"Getting a bit steadier on my paws," she replied, slowly expanding her strides and picking up speed. Away from the wall now, she concentrated on her balance and movements, making sure to never go anywhere near her limits.

"I can see. Keep up the good work," Delilah said, before pausing to observe her daughter's movements. "Try making your skates more in line as you get faster," she suggested.

Brittany followed her advice, noticing how she felt a little less well balanced, but her strides came easier and her speed was faster. "I'm getting there," she said confidently.

"You certainly are," Delilah noted. "Before long I could have you doing stuff like this." She pushed ahead, cutting into the less well crowded centre of the rink before doing a tight loop.

Brittany, gliding on her skates so as to focus on her mother, watched in awe as she pulled herself into a tight pirouette, twirling twice on the point of her skate, before gliding back to meet her.

"That was amazing!" she gasped, her muzzle opened wide into a goofy grin. Her mother shrugged, her mouth piquing to the side in thought.

"It didn't feel that good. I'm very rusty," she sighed.

"Well I think it was amazing!" her daughter reassured her, bringing a large smile to her face.

"Oh thank you," she said, her paws going to her heart. "I can teach you a bit later if you want?"

"I do," Brittany said and, together, they got to work.

At first it was just building up the younger fox's confidence and balance, getting faster and practicing better turns. There were a few moments when she felt a slight imbalance or the odd wobble, but never anything that would need a paw flying over to the railing, let alone cause a fall. Meanwhile, her mother was a patient teacher, giving her tips and tricks before demonstrating them in front of her, multiple times if needed. Slowly but surely, she felt her confidence grow as her speed increased. Steadier on her feet, she started doing tighter and tighter spirals, getting closer and closer to that central point. Her mother, holding her paw on the outside, stood by her daughter and gave her the confidence to go on. Finally, when Brittany could spiral in no more, she pushed through and spiralled up. Delilah lifted her paw and Brittany followed, no longer balancing on her long blades, but rather on the tip of one. Her face lit up with joy as she spun around, the world a blur around her, until she came out of it and glided off, her mother by her side.

"That was beautiful," she said, and Brittany felt it. In that moment she wasn't an empowered, or a ZED assister, or someone formerly estranged by her parents, or even a young girl who'd taken a life. In that moment of pure childlike bliss, she had been Brittany Voxen, dancer on ice.

It was one of the best feelings she'd ever had.

.

.

"Ooooooooooohhhhhh Yeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!" Delilah sighed, relaxing as paws dug into her shoulder blades, carefully loosening the muscles in them. Smiling, she looked over to her daughter and the arctic fox vixen who quickly began a karate-chop massage on her back. Brittany looked back in return, a slight nervous expression in her eyes, which suddenly widened as the experience began.

"AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT!"

The older fox burst into a fit of giggles as her daughter's shocked expression and odd vocalisation continued, only to squirm slightly as a pair of paw pads dug into the sensitive pits of muscle in the centre of her shoulder blades. "Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The two carried on making funny noises as the two arctic foxes attending to them did their work, carefully balancing themselves around the squirming bodies they were treating. The one on top of Brittany jumped suddenly, her rear end vaulting a stray tail and landing down, her magic hands never leaving her patient.

"You are tense little one," she giggled, turning to her fellow worker.

"I think this one's tenser 'Nilla," the one working on Delilah commented, before clambering onto her back on all fours, each paw beginning a soothing workout.

"Cherry," Brittany's vixen groaned. "You really…"

She was cut off as one of the oddest sounds she'd ever heard made its way out of Delilah's mouth. "Yeeeeooooohhhuuuuiiiiiiiiiaaaaaa!"

"No, you're right," she admitted, turning back to focus on Brittany. "I mean that sound could turn my coat white again," she said, gesturing down at her mottled black and grey summer coat.

"I know!" Cherry agreed, before glancing down at a now purring Delilah. "No offense."

"None taken."

"It'd look like that one time you dyed your summer coat," Vanilla sighed, before smiling as Brittany also began to purr like an outboard motor.

"Urghhh," the other arctic fox vixen, her summer coat the regular brown with a creamy yellow underside, noted. "I'm never letting peer pressure make me do that again."

"I know," the first one said with a shrug. "It's just you get these idiots who hear 'arctic fox' and automatically imagine us as snowballs, even though we're storm clouds half the year."

There was a chuckle from Brittany and she weakly held out her tenderised arm, holding her thumb up. "Shame on those guys."

"Glad you can agree," Vanilla cooed, before lowering her clawed fingers down and beginning a scalp massage. As a whole host of new and increasingly bizarre yet content sounds came from the teenaged vixen, her mother's masseur looked on and nodded.

"Shame on them." She noted.

Together they carried on the pampering session, things getting even more blissful when a third arctic fox vixen arrived.

"Angel!" the two existing ones called out, smiling.

"What fresh heaven is this?" Brittany cooed, smiling even more as the newcomer, her fur a solid brown coat, brought out a manicure set. She and her mother looked on with delight as their claws were cleaned up, sharpened, polished, and then decorated with beautiful patterns. Cherry and Vanilla, meanwhile, had finished the massage and brought out some electric fur brushes. A whole new round of grooming and purring began, along with conditioning and perfuming and, for Delilah at least, fur highlights.

.

.

"Steady," Brittany warned, hobbling along slightly. She looked up at her mother, who seemed even more unsteady on her feet, completely liquidated by the treatment. She looked radiant though, the grey furs in her coat gone and her claws shining. She seemed more relaxed too, easy going and without any of the nervousness and awkwardness that had been present the day before, or on any of the other occasions where they'd met up after _that_ event. Brittany didn't care about _that_ though. Not anymore. She wanted to not care about it, but her subconscious had been holding her back until today. Instead, it now pushed her on. Pushed her closer. Feeling that loving attraction, she moved herself in until they were touching. Her paw tightening around her mother's. She let go quickly and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. An arm coming back, and she felt the giddy feeling of love come with it. A kiss on her cheek, and she smiled a little smiled which betrayed how much it meant to her.

"Today was wonderful," Delilah said, sadness in her voice but an overriding sense of happiness and relief coming through.

"I bet it's good to have me back," she said.

"It is. It really is, and I'm so sor…."

Delilah was cut off by a finger planted against her lips. Brittany didn't say anything, but her mother got the message and nodded. With their arms around each other, they went onwards to the rest of the family. They all had a table in the grand hall, having a waited dinner service while watching comedy and music and dance. They entered it through a tall door and made their way quickly to their allotted table. Brittany, like a little kit, gazed around in wonder at the bright lights and the glamour. The decorations and all the mammals there. At their waiting table, and her sister looking just as goofy as herself, and her….

…

The bliss faded out as she saw him.

He stood there, talking to her sister, his fur greying and glasses on but still carrying the loving face of her father…

But the parental love she'd had for him, unlike that for her mother, dried off, cut off at the source in the back of her mind as he sat there. As he chatted and played with the little kit she loved, her gut told her that he was the mammal who had been scared of her for years. Who had let that overwrite the love he should have felt for her. Who had forced his wife, her mother, to make a choice that hurt everyone.

The glitz, the glamour and the excitement seemed to dull somewhat, as if a pair of rose tinted spectacles had been ripped from her head.

There was a sense of trepidation as he turned to look at them, even if he was smiling and even if he was the mammal who, on the surface, she wanted to love.

He stood up, looked over at them, and spoke. "By the celestials, you two look amazing."

"We feel, interesting, too," her mother said, her voice lifting her up slightly.

"Ice skating followed by a spa treatment," Brittany explained, reaching a chair that just so happened to be the furthest from her father. Her mother sat beside her and she scooted up, wanting to be near her comforting familiarity. "And pedicures. And some dyeing for Mum…"

Nigel nodded, smiling, before speaking out. "Get on well together?"

Looking away slightly, Brittany pulled in a deep breath and let the truth out. "Whatever I had against Mum earlier today is gone." She turned, bringing her into a hug. "We're just like any mother and daughter, and I wouldn't want it any other way."

Kinsey made a face that one would expect if she were handed an elephant sized ice-cream Sunday, while Nigel smiled joyously. "I'm so happy for you. Both of you," he said.

She knew it was sincere, and he meant it from the bottom of his heart, yet that little gut feeling that she couldn't control whispered in her ear. Telling her. Tainting her. Warning her. Reminding her…

She nodded, smiling back. "I'm happy too."

"Well, if you want a day like that with me," he said, shrugging.

Brittany felt a nervous pit in her stomach and thought for a second. "I… I think I'll pass for tomorrow. But later on…"

He looked disappointed but nodded. "Your time, your place." He sounded disappointed too, and she felt a slight bit of guilt, yet the apprehension in her gut held her back. She wondered if this was how he'd felt, before reminding herself that the guilt for him should have been so much stronger. He should have done the right thing, and she didn't know what kind of feeling would have pushed him to doing such a wrong thing. She wished she knew, so that she'd be able to understand. Able to forgive.

For now though, his presence was still pleasant, even if there was that bitter aftertaste. But that was more than buried out by her sister and mother regardless. She was going to enjoy this night, just like the rest of the holiday.

.

.

"And… and have you ever _tried_ organising the bands that play on these kinds of things?"

She looked on out of the corner of her eye, taking in the comic act that was playing out on the stage. A black woolled sheep, eagerly playing the crowd, was in the middle of a routine that had been keeping her chuckling for the last ten minutes. She turned forwards to pick out a bread roll, before choosing an acorn-meal flatbread instead. Something to nibble on as they waited for service to start.

"I don't think you understand the dark humour of these guys, especially when they realise that you're on a boat!"

The odd chuckle came through, though none from her table.

"Any of you familiar with the Pougles?"

A few murmurs of agreement.

"Well," he carried on. "Garry in entertainment decided that it would be a good idea to have them do a concert on one of these ships… Did I say Garry in entertainment? I meant Garry _formerly_ in entertainment…"

A few dark chuckles and, though she didn't get the reference, Brittany's eyes narrowed slightly, anticipating where this was going.

"Alarm bells started ringing when they asked us if they could bring the Dumblambers along too…"

A hyena on a terrace below the Voxen family began cackling, along with several others who were in on the joke.

"Damage control was brief," the comedian noted. "But when Garry realised what was going to happen, in the name of good taste may I add, he did try and intervene." He looked on solemnly for a second, before continuing. "After that, for once in his life, Shane MacGrowler didn't have the worst pair of teeth in the room."

About a third of the crowd laughed, the hyena below calling out above and beyond. The same crowd laughed even louder as a quick addendum was added. "-Sidenote, Mr MacGrowler spent the rest of _that_ cruise as the guest of honour in a special little cabin down in G-deck."

Brittany still didn't get it though, and looked on sceptically as he carried on…

"May I take your order?"

Her attention snapped away from the stand-up act, the oddly familiar voice perking her eyes in a slightly unpleasant way. She felt it odd that the same warning gut feeling that she had around her father was going off again as she turned to face the waiter…

She jolted slightly at his sight, the sounds outside vanishing as an icy spear of terror ripped through her.

There, looking dead into her eyes with his cold dead blue ones, was Jack Savage.

The crushing pall…

That monster, that she'd burnt to ash and dust at the height of her powers, sending him to hell.

He was here though. She knew that. Same bunny. Same coat. Same striped and same voice and same eyes. Even the nametag read it loud and clear. Savage.

Those eyes still looked at her.

Malevolent this time.

She'd sent him to hell but here he was, returned…

Ready to claw her and take her and…

"May I take your order Ma'am."

She gazed away. Even his waiter suit was similar to the tailored one he'd worn when he tore in, almost taking her life. She could almost feel his presence, the force of gravity working in alien ways that it should not, ready to deal with her. Ready to…

"Ma'am, are you okay"

"Set menu-A!" she blurted out, a sudden rush of emotion escaping her, before it faded back into the nothingness again. Not cool peace. Not icy dread. A terror so all-consuming that it was nothing and everything. She sort of remembered something about a drink, and maybe a murmur about some orange juice.

…

…

He stood there, just gazing. She saw some paw motions coming from the others…

He nodded, turned, and left…

.

.

"But the worst are folk singers, I mean seriously guys!"

The voice of the comic came back, along with a loud rolling laugh from the crowds around. Her senses coming back, Brittany blinked a few times before noticing that she was panting. Her tongue peeked in and out of her mouth while she took deep and rapid breaths. There was even a stray smell of smoke and, looking down, Brittany noticed burn marks in the dress she'd put on for this evening. Then she looked up, spotting the confused glare of her family.

"Are you okay Brittany?" Kinsey asked, her head tilting to the side in confusion.

She gulped, nervously, and turned to focus her eyes elsewhere. Down onto the comic, who was now getting rolling laughs in.

"Our herring smacks and scooners… yadda yadda we get it! You want to sing the least appropriate songs possible when you're on a boat. And you there, the one who's playing on the seventies rock cruise with Alan Pawsons… Let's look at your planned songs. Oh look, one about being trapped alone in a submarine. And another about being on a sinking pirate ship. You know what! Both of you can join Gordon Lighthoof on the blacklist!"

A rolling laugh came out, some joke or other reaching its climax. It sailed over her though, the joy of the others not changing her broken mood a bit. She had the feeling that even if she had got the punchline, she wouldn't have felt any other way.

"Three soupe-de-poisson and one tomato."

She flinched down in terror as the voice returned, staring intently away from him. The comic was bowing now, walking off the stage to let a new group of performers on. They just looked like bugs from here though, little ants scurrying about so fast that she couldn't count them or….

The brass bannister.

The reflection.

His face. That face again. Those stripes and those eyes, those eyes that reflected into hers. Looking at her even as she looked away from him and his paws that could flip her onto the ceiling, holding a pepper grinder over her sister's soup and turning and….

The crunching came out and she was there again.

That sound.

That sound he made as he crushed Nick, breaking his bones over and over, playing with him before stretching him. Torturing him. Like he'd tortured Skye. Crushing her and breaking her in every way he could or can and now here with her family and the crunching and the crunching and Kinsey and those eyes turning to face her again and…

She ran.

She jumped off her chair and ran, past the table and past him and as far away as she could. Waiters and patrons narrowly missed her as she made a beeline for somewhere.

" _Brittany…._ "

.

.

Delilah found her sobbing in the lady's bathroom. She knocked on the cubicle door as her daughter, curled up into herself and crying, tightened her arms and shrunk herself even smaller.

"Brittany. We're not mad or… Please, what's the matter?"

"It's HIM!" she wailed.

"Who…"

"I… I killed him!" she shrieked. "I turned him into ash and… and… -I sent him to hell but he's back!"

"Who is?"

"J-J-Jack Savage!"

…

"He's the one who attacked us, wasn't he?"

Brittany nodded through her tears, before managing out a brief "Yes."

"But you defeated him. You saw it with your own eyes. How is he…"

"HE WAS THERE!" she shrieked. "He was there, out of hell. He… he… returned, and he was by us and… and…"

"Darling? What species was he?"

…

"A… a… rabbit."

"… Oh heavens. Was he grey with black stripes?"

"Uh-hu…"

…

"Oh Brittany," her mother sobbed. "I… I didn't realise. I'm so sorry. And that poor waiter too, he doesn't know what happened and… Do you want some time alone, or?"

"Please," Brittany sobbed.

"Right," her mother noted. "I'll find our waiter and explain what happened, hopefully they can sort something out. I'll… I'll come back in five mins and see how you're doing, okay…?"

Through her tears, Brittany managed a noise in agreement, and heard her mother's footsteps slowly recede out of there. She slowly calmed down, eventually leaving the stall and going over to the washbasins, quickly cleaning up the tear stains around her eyes. A quick face wash, and she was visually presentable when her mother finally returned.

"I'm…" she began, before spotting her. She walked forwards and brought her into a comforting hug, Brittany throwing her arms around her mother in return. A few new sobs opened up, but they quickly went away again. Finally, together, the two turned to leave the bathroom, paw in paw.

"I've explained everything," he mother began. "Both to the waiter, who mentioned something about a second cousin or so, and your father and Kinsey. They… they know not to press the issue."

"I…" she began, stuttering. "I… I… -thank-you."

Together they returned to the meal, Brittany's soup a bit cooler but still warm and enjoyable. She quickly ate it up, dabbing the odd bit of bread roll in there too or taking a bit out of the floating fish-shaped rouille. By the time she was finished, a cold starter and a hot starter had arrived, Brittany absentmindedly eating both the prawn cocktail and the fried calamari with sweet chilli sauce.

The backlog dealt with, she gazed down sadly at the live jazz band now playing.

Her mother placed a paw on her shoulder and she felt herself relax a bit, the music coming back a bit more joyously. A sip of the table's white wine steadied her nerves slightly, though it was the sight of her sister making a dreadful mess with her spaghetti bugognaise that warmed her up the most. By the time the main courses for the adult menus arrived, she was joking with her sister and grooving to the music. The flavour in her shellfish carbonara came through in all its creamy glory, as did her giggles at some of the jokes being thrown about. Even those from her father, his humour able to overpower any gut-apprehension she had with him. A cheeseboard came and she tried a little bit of everything, discussing with her sister how the little chewy sultanas or cranberries in some of them were actually a good thing, though she remained unimpressed.

"Next thing, you'll say you like raisins in biscuits," Kinsey sulked, crossing her arms.

"Can't have too many for health reasons, but they're not that bad."

The little vixen's eyes widened in shock. "Don't be stupid!"

"I'm going to have to agree with Kinsey here," Delilah said, Nigel also agreeing.

Then came the dessert. An opera singer, a large hippo in a pink silk dress, sung in perfect Italian, her voice ringing out so much that every wineglass in the room was vibrating alarmingly. Looking down, Brittany saw no speakers or microphone, though the sound seemed to be coming from all around. She wondered if the singer was a fellow empowered, only with great vocal powers. It didn't matter too much though, and the definitely empowered vixen dug into her little real-chocolate lava cake. Her orange juice had long gone, and a third glass of wine had been emptied too. She felt oddly happy and giggly, friendly towards all members of her family, and she swayed a bit here and there, revelling in the odd dizziness that came about from it.

"I think Brittany is drunk," Kinsey, taking a break from her sticky toffee pudding, whispered a bit too loudly.

"No I'm not!" she loudly objected, before taking another bite of her hot lava cake, along with a cooling dollop of whipped cream.

"She's almost," Nigel said, "but we're out of wine, so no issues."

"I think it's a big issue!" she joked, before breaking down into a set of giggles.

Delilah looked on ambivalently. "Well, she's eighteen so she can go and buy a whole new bottle of the stuff, but I'm sure she's sensible enough to know what she's doing."

"See," she said, turning to Kinsey. "Responsible adult. Not too much wine. All good!"

"Just be sensible in the future, and know to lay it off when you get to this stage," Nigel advised, Brittany nodding her head in return.

"Yes Daddy…"

"Or maybe a bit sooner."

"Maybe if I do that I'll still feel a little mad at you, and that's no fun," she chirped, before turning back to her dessert obliviously.

Nigel paused over his for a few seconds, looking sadly at his wife before turning down to eat.

…

A paw on his shoulder.

"It'll take time, but she'll get there." He looked up to see Delilah leaning in. "She does want it, but it'll take time, but she will get there."

A little confident smile grew across his muzzle, before he turned down and took another bite of his food.

.

.

Back in the cabin, Brittany cleaned her teeth and retreated to her bunk. The exercise earlier in the day, and the returning ache in her muscles from her massage, drew her to it. Despite the air conditioning the cabin was still warm, too much for a thick duvet certainly. Instead, she made do with the sheet given, half wrapping it around her and her around it. Her sister was already asleep, and she could feel it calling her too. As her eyes closed, she thought back to her feelings towards her father earlier. How he'd told a joke and she'd laughed at it, none of that bad feeling in her. As the alcohol had worked its way out of her system though, that feeling had returned. She sighed sadly, remembering that things weren't that easy. Her father had done things out of fear, even though his love for her, if he deserved her love at least, should have prevented this. With that melancholic musing, the old day faded.

.

.

"Hello, little twerp."

Jack…

Her eyes opened with a start. That voice. That voice again. His voice…

She looked around left and right trying to find him only to see nothing, the darkness so great that even her night vision was blind.

"I underestimated you once. I'm not going to do that again…. You understand?"

He was there, she could feel the heat and the pressure of his breath go down the back of her neck in an icy chill. She could feel his presence, sense his presence…

"Oh, little twerp? Don't you understand?"

"I KILLED YOU!" she barked out desperately, pricks of water in the edges of her eyes. "I… I…"

She felt a sudden rush of air as she surged upwards, smashing painfully into the ceiling. She tried to scream, only for the grip to extend to her muzzle. Ramming it closed. Tighter and tighter and tighter and…

"You don't understand!?" he asked, almost sounding happy about it. The pressure was increasing, and she felt herself being forced up against the ceiling. Harder and harder and harder and…. The pain was getting far worse too. It was what she'd felt in his gravity trap, only more. More. Far more. She couldn't scream so she wiggled but then her arms and legs were pulled out. Pulled out tight. Then tighter. Like on a rack… Her fingers, each one, pulled so hard the claws felt like they'd tear off and her tail too, her tail so hard that each fur was pulling and…

"I'm BACK!"

That same call. That same cry when he'd torn the wall off. Only now he was here and she couldn't move or scream and she didn't have her wand and…

"Remember what I said?" he asked. She felt his hot breath go down her ear and she felt the heat. She felt the burn. She saw flickers and embers and he was still burning. Still burning, that hadn't changed, she'd only hurt him like Skye might of and how Nick and Judy had and now it was time for him to…

"I don't like killing. I like breaking."

That pepper grinder sound. There it went again and she felt her tail twist and crack and tear and snap as it was twisted and twisted and she couldn't scream she couldn't scream his power was too tight too tight he…

"You will suffer for ever and ever, both here and down below demon girl!"

Flames. Flames. Her friend and ally and enemy but now they started to lick all over her, consuming her, her fur turning black…

"Both the pain and the guilt!"

She flipped over and she saw him. Oh heavens she saw him. Face to face and nose to nose, touching, there he hovered. Black. Black as ash and black as the blackest night but alive underneath, alive underneath like the fire in the black ashes, heat radiating out. Flecks of orange and white on his skin and his stripes burnt white hot like a branding iron and his eyes, oh lord his eyes, so red and alive with the death of hell. But his pupils were black.. Black with nothing. Black with death. No heat there, nothing, emptiness that called her but he was looking away as they weren't for him oh no they weren't for him…

The bunk was torn off and Kinsey was there.

Kinsey was screaming.

How she screamed and screamed and screamed, running into the corner.

"GO AWAY! I HATE YOU FIRE FOX! DEMON FOX! YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED AWAY! NO ONE LOVES YOU! NO ONE!"

She felt her fear go up and her powers go crazy and flames, flames in their hundreds couldn't be stopped as they flowed from her and down and then she was gone.

Gone.

No, not gone.

Still there but black ash.

"KINSEY!" Brittany managed to scream, breaking the grip around her muzzle only for her shout to break her sister apart into dust…

Dust…

Out of the ship now and flying, Jack taking her along. Taking her back to their old apartment as it burned and her father burned with it. Taking her to the apartment fire on her eighteenth, her ice powers breaking out. They flew down but turned to fire and then a hellstorm as those around were turned to ash. To the new apartment and there she was, screaming like a demon and flames flicking from her tongue as her parents begged and cried and were consumed in the white heat leaving just their bones…

Standing at the ZED with Bogo and he was screaming at her. How he could ever see her as anything more than a menace? She was a monster. A failure. Worse than Savage. So far worse and Judy was there, muzzling her and cuffing her as Bogo spat at her before, waving the burning Jack over to finish it off.

"NO!"

She turned and there she was, Skye. Skye to save her, all new, but then Jack saw her. She crumpled. Her face caving in and her eye going white and then her limbs in every which direction as she got small and small into nothing, that peppergrinder sound just going and going and…

"You would make a great enforcer," Jack hissed. "We're the same, monsters from hell…"

"NO!" she begged, tears coming from her eyes but turning to steam.

"So many you would burn and kill and wound and hurt…"

"I'M NOT LIKE YOU! I'M NOT…"

"YOU ARE A MURDERER, NOW AND FOREVER!" he screamed, his flames burning hotter and hotter. "AND I WILL CRUSH YOU LIKE YOU BURNT ME!"

It happened again. It happened and she felt everything get tighter and tighter and more pain, more pain, the peppergrinder sound. Not that. Not her bones. No no no nononononooooooooo…

…

"ARRGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

…

"Wu-wu… Brittany?"

.

The sound of her sister didn't change anything. Brittany just stood up there in her bed, panting in and out. In and out over and over. Why was she back here? Why?

"Why did you scream?"

Not another ghost, she thought. She burnt Kinsey, she burnt them all. This was her. This was what she always was. Demon, monster….

"Why do you smell of smoke?"

She looked down and gasped. Yes, smoke… Her sheets, her mattress, her clothes… Whiffs of it coming off and it was hot, yes, it was hot from when she'd burnt them.

"BRITTANY PLEASE!"

There was movement, sounds going on, doors opening.

No, she had to get away.

Had to get away from them.

She threw herself off the bunk and threw open the door, racing out. Into the cabin and then out onto the balcony and the warm night air…

The breeze was cool though.

The breeze was there and it cooled her as she rested, panting and panting her tongue right out, on the railing.

She felt sick.

She was sick. It came out of her and hurled over the edge, emptying into the ocean.

She barely felt it leave.

She noticed the emptiness after though and she trembled. She trembled and shivered as the first tears started and then more. Her legs felt so weak and she sat down. Down in a corner, outside, where a stupid, disgusting, disgraceful mutt like her belonged. She could still hear him though. And see him and smell him and feel him. Burning and calling for her, that monster. Breaking the friends and family she couldn't manage herself. The tears poured out of her more and more as paws came up to her face and held on tight, not noticing the pricks as her sharpened claws cut into her skin. She gritted her muzzle tighter as the screams just rang out, convulsing her body. Tears streamed down her and she just wanted to be alone.

Alone….

.

.

A faintest touch of a paw and she felt herself being guided up. Some brown bag went over her muzzle and she felt her breathing stabilise. Getting deeper. Less often.

She felt it more now, around her arm.

Holding on tight.

She held it back.

Clung onto it desperately, not letting go.

"Nightmare?"

The question was simple, but it broke her. She screamed out again, nodding furiously. Was it though? Was it not real? Was this real? Or was this a taunt? She didn't know. She couldn't know. For now, she could just cry and cry, gently being rocked in her father's paws as they sailed on into the night.


	5. Chapter 4

**An: Sorry for not getting this out on Thursday.**

 **Didn't get back late due to a wine tasting event, and as I couldn't post ALRIAC's chapter the day before, I decided to post both new chapters today, given that it's my birthday.**

 **Both are heavy on the feels, and I think that this may be the best chapter I've written. Who knows?**

 **Regardless, I hope you enjoy.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

.

.

Chapter 4:

.

Brittany still held onto her father tightly as she cried.

She didn't know how long it had been or how many tears had been shed, just that it wasn't enough. She still felt broken, and needed to get it all out. The fear, the pain, the horror, the sounds and the images…

The heat.

They still swirled around her, vibrant as ever.

All the strange details that should have told her that it was a dream, such as the wall colours being off or how bits of the cabin or ZED layout had been different, were clear now, but they did nothing to help. They didn't change what she'd experience, or make it seem any less real. Kinsey's horror and scream, or Skye being crushed again, or the disappointment riven in Bogo's face… Seeing that original fire flick up and consume her father…

Even though he'd been present again at the new apartment, when she'd discovered their secret, the plot hole hadn't made her feel any less worse. In the real world, back then, her flames had started to burn and consume everything and they'd given up hope, thinking that she was going to kill them. In her dream, however, she watched as she did, the burning heat of her anger raging out and incinerating them. It wasn't real, she knew that, but she also knew just how pure and real it was. How it so easily could have been. It taunted her and pulled her back. She was disgusted at herself, as that was herself. It had all seemed so natural.

And Jack…

Jack had just been there to make it happen, and to perform the act of justice when it was all over.

She grabbed her father and held him tighter, barely noticing the layers of frost now covering her body as she let the cold out.

He held her back and cradled her.

They may have been childish but, as he rocked her over his shoulder, he uttered little cooing sounds and 'there there's' and they made her feel just a tiny bit better.

The world was blackness and light, and the dark had consumed her.

He was the light though, and she held onto him as he drove it away.

Slowly but surely.

She noticed at one point that the bag that had been placed over her muzzle was gone, but it didn't change anything.

He was shivering too, his teeth chattering as her cold spread to him, yet he still held tight.

She tried to pull in the cold but couldn't.

She thought about putting some heat in to warm him up but flinched at the idea as soon as it entered her mind. No heat. No flame. No. She couldn't be trusted. She might burn him. She might consume him… She might prove Jack right and she didn't want to prove him right because she knew that he wasn't. She knew that he was evil, and she was good, and he was dead, yet…

Yet…

He felt so real, and she felt so terrible at what she'd done. Everything was so fresh in her mind…

Her tears carried on, frosting over and forming little icicles from the corners of her eyes. Her right one started to close shut because of it, so she wiped away the ice so that she could blink and cry some more.

He still stood there though, comforting, and the areas that he touched felt warm.

She focussed on that.

She put her mind all into those areas and felt the warmth radiate out. The frost growing all over her began receding and, in the reflection of their cabin window, she saw the strange white fox that was present change back into her.

It was a strain though.

A strain and tiring, and she slipped, crying out again.

A very slight frost returned, though it was weakening.

She felt like she was running out of tears.

.

…

The back of her neck was being brushed.

Bar the tail, it was one of her most sensitive areas, and a paw with claws gently raked down it. She felt safe, and not alone. She felt that continue as the coarseness of a tongue slowly groomed its way along the side of her muzzle, towards her neck.

Her hair had always meant that, as a little kit, a tongue grooming session stayed away from there. Rather than her scalp, it had been the areas under her eyes where the tenderest love had been placed.

At least until she left, being enrolled into the ZED, and her parents no longer there to do it.

It was back, though, after so, so long. It felt almost alien, but then it felt right. It felt good. She felt little else now, which helped so much. None of the bad emotions, just the love returning.

The grooming stopped and was followed by a kiss in the area. A paw went up and stroked her hair back.

Her father, so busy with his cooing and his 'there-there's, stopped and spoke.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She nodded her head deeply and pulled him in, her muzzle going over his shoulder as she let out some deep sobs. "Y-Y-Yes…."

"Okay sweetie, I'll be here for you."

"He-He… -He returned!" she wailed.

"That Bunny?"

"YES! And… and he was burning. Burning like he was in hell and… and I turned him to dust and there was nothing left but there he was. There he was, and his gravity powers were back and he pushed me up to the top of my room, telling me about how he didn't like to kill but likes to punish. Punish those who… who… who tried to face him by crippling them and breaking them, like he did to Skye. Skye… Skye came in and tried to save me, but he broke her once more. He broke her… her… her like he did before. Her face was… was caved in and one eye went blind and then he went on, crushing her and breaking everything and… and…"

Her words trailed off into sobs as she clutched her face with a paw, unable to stop the tears flowing. Her father, cradling onto her, glanced at her sadly before speaking. "We could try and call her? She's the cream fox, isn't she? Call her and she can tell you you're fine."

Brittany didn't answer though, still coughing and spluttering, so Nigel brought his paw up and patted her back, stroking down it here and there. He looked over into their cabin and saw his wife and other daughter looking on concerned. He glanced away, thinking, before looking back and raising a paw. They seemed to get the message, and Delilah led Kinsey back into her cabin to give them some privacy.

"He… he…" Brittany picked up again, Nigel flicking his attention back to her. "He called me a murderer, and he was right… and he showed me killing Kinsey, burning her, and you in the first fire and you and Mum when I learned the truth… And it felt so natural and easy… and then at the ZED everyone but Skye hated me. They hated me…. They said I was a monster, and Judy… She's my friend but… She… She… She was arresting me and Bogo hated me, saying I was as bad as Jack, and then he came in… he came in…"

She trailed off into nothing, the only sounds being the wind and the waves.

"What did he do, darling?"

…

"He crushed me," she whispered hoarsely. "She crushed me so tight, and closer and closer… and the sound… it was that pepper grinder sound as my bones broke and…"

"It wasn't real," he said sternly.

"IT FELT REAL!"

He flinched as she buckled, her body jolting as she screamed it out, before slowly vibrating as she cried once more.

"It felt real… It felt real…"

.

.

.

"I know it did," he said, sadly.

"Y-You do?"

"I do," he replied. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and carried on. "Those… those nightmares, you get all sorts. It doesn't matter how crazy or bad they are, they feel so real. You can't escape, you can't tell yourself that it isn't real, even when you know… or should know… that this would never happen. The layout of your house may be wrong, or people do things that they'd never do, but it feels real. But it's not. It isn't, and you should remember all the ways that it's false and use those to push it behind you. Think about those, and how they're lies, and how everything else is too."

"It's hard," she whined. Her crying had reduced to a trickle, though the ice growing on her fur kept getting thicker.

"The hardest ones are the ones where it seems the most real," Nigel said sadly. "One's where you can see something happen where… where you want to tell yourself that it wouldn't, but there's just that little possibility that it could. It's horrible as you can't get that out of your mind. It gnaws at you, doesn't it?"

He felt her nodding her head as she sniffed in a tear. "I… I went too far… It felt so easy, but it came out and I…"

"But you do know that you don't want to do that," Nigel pointed out. "That's the most important thing isn't it? It wasn't you. It was this Jack fellow pushing you. Driving you…"

"He… he…"

"He's gone, darling," he reassured her, patting her back. "He hurt your friends and he was going to hurt or do worse to you, even if you were a civilian. He was a monster, and you saved so many lives. He's never coming back."

"I know…" she whispered. "I killed him… I…"

"You did what had to be done."

"I'll always be a murder… and… and what if I do get used to it? I'm no worse than him…"

"Don't say that," he said sternly. "Because you know that's not true. He gave you two choices, and you picked the better one. In the real world, you'll have a million more choices, and never have to make the same one again."

"I know…" she whined. "I know he was evil. I know he deserved it. I know I'm not a monster…. But… but… I felt like I was! I felt like I was…"

"And you know that feeling seems right, and you know that feeling also seems wrong," Nigel said sadly. "You… you have a choice. Pick one aspect and carry it forwards. Live by it, or let it rule you however much you hate it or… -Brittany. Please don't let what he did to you, or your fears here, guide you. You are an amazing young woman, and I don't want that monster affecting what you want to do with your life."

…

She was silent.

Her crying had stopped.

The frost had receded, but a brush on her fur or a gust of wind would still send little specks of fine white powder from her.

"Don't let him hold you back from the things you want. Don't let him hold you back from the things you know are right. Don't let him stop you doing the things you'd like…"

…

"I already have."

It was a haunting whisper. Nigel nodded his head slightly and let her carry on.

"My best friends at the ZED are enforcers. When I first came in, seeing them going out gave me hope… It gave me a reason to be there as I would be heroes like them, fighting crime and… and… when I was given the offer on my eighteenth birthday, I jumped at it. After the fights, I was shaky and still thinking, but I'd still go for it and then…. And then… When I fought him and saw everything go down and I took his life without even thinking… Just by feeling… I realised I couldn't do that. My dream, Dad. He destroyed it. He turned it into ash like I did to him and… and I knew I couldn't handle it or put myself through it. He won. He won…"

"Why… no, how… How do you think you were turned off it?" he cautiously asked.

"I knew that I might slip up and burn someone, or kill someone, or see my friends dying," she said, hauntingly. "I can't handle that. I'm too weak."

"I don't think you're weak…"

She paused for a bit, before closing her eyes and sobbing slightly. "No. no…. I mean, I…. I don't know. I just killed him, and I can do that with my paws. So if I become an enforcer, like he was, there's nothing stopping me going down his path. On purpose, or by accident…"

"Brittany Voxen," he said, pushing her away so that he could look into her tearful eyes and her into his. "Push down all those silly thoughts. Please. It's hard and its tough, and they just spring back up however stupid you tell yourself they are, but push them down. Hammer them down and lift up all the good ones and… and I know it's hard and it's tough, but you're just making everything so harder for yourself if you don't. Don't run away from this battle because it will run up and chase you and catch you in the end. Remember that you are Brittany Voxen, the brilliant young girl who saved your friends and ended the reign of terror of a monster and who is sweet enough to fall in love with someone who could be seen as her replacement and forgive the biggest idiots who hurt her… You are amazing. You are amazing at what you do. If you want to be a superhero policemammal, you'd be amazing at that. If you enjoy being a superhero firemammal, which is no different and maybe more useful since there's less of them, keep on being that. Never feel ashamed of who you are and what you were forced to do. Remember that whenever these horrible thoughts come back. You promise me?"

…

Brittany just stood there, looking at him. Looking into his eyes, her mind empty, before she choked. She choked again and smiled. She cried, but she was smiling, and she lunged forwards and took him in a great hug. She held him tight, and he could feel the warmth coming off of her, even as tears flowed down her back.

…

"Do… Do these dreams and thoughts ever stop?" she asked.

"No," Nigel said sadly. "You can go your life without them again, or they can return when you most or least expect it. They're… They're a horrible burden, but I think you're strong enough to carry it."

"What if I'm not?"

"That's what friends are for," her father said. "And family. And that therapist you have…"

"Mr Clawhauser's all three of those," she said, managing a little giggle. "He's great."

"I'm sure he is," Nigel said sadly.

"Will… will you be there with him too? To help?" she asked.

His eyes widened. "Y-Yes… of course, but why me?"

"Because you're my dad," she said. "And you knew what to say even more than he does. If I ever… I ever… I ever have a dream like that again, I want help from both of you."

Nigel pulled in a brief sob, before standing up and hugging his daughter. "I will. For as long as I live. For as long as you need me. For as long as you have these things, which I so wish I could stop but I know can't be stopped… I'll be there, for you…"

.

Looking over his shoulder, Brittany felt a wave of peace. She also felt, as the terror of her nightmare slowly left her, that niggling uncomfortableness come back. Reminding her that this was the mammal who left her, abandoned her, and was scared of her. She wanted it to crawl and die in a hole but, just like with the nightmare, it was something that would linger on. Maybe, like her father had said about it, it would carry on forever.

She let out a sob then.

She didn't want that happening.

She wanted to love him like she did in that moment. She wanted to look up at him, him being the wise person she'd trust to advise and help her. After all, he knew so much about those terrible kinds of dreams and was so good at helping. Everything had been so sincere. She wondered how he knew.

How he….

.

She gasped in horror, Nigel noticing it.

"Brittany dear?" he asked softly.

She didn't answer, instead pulling away from him and stepping back, looking pale as a ghost. The frost had returned, crystallising over her fur, while her eyes trembled with some kind of horror.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"The hardest ones are the ones that are the most real," she said, not looking him in the eye. She turned away, staring at her feet in shame. "One's which have crazy things in it, you know they won't come real. But those that are just a little step on. Where there's that little possibility it could."

"It's…" Nigel began, only to be cut off.

"You see it replaying and replaying and you can see it happening. You can see it going on," she said, sniffing a bit. "You know that it might happen, even though it's you. Yourself. The mammal who you can trust the most in the world and… and I struggle to trust her, myself, anymore. You have complete control, but you're worried about losing it and the pain and the shame…" She cut off, looking up sadly. "It must be so much harder when it's someone else! Someone who you can't see inside. Someone who… someone who's a child and can make simple mistakes as that's what children do, but then you… you can imagine those mistakes going so wrong because one so nearly did."

"I…" Nigel began before pausing, looking away in shame. "It's still no excuse. It's still…"

He was cut off as a paw gently cupped the underside of his muzzle and turned it around, so he was eye to eye with his daughter. Her one's trembled though, glossing over. "I… when Jack came… I thought I was going to die… I thought everyone I knew and loved was going to also, even those down in the bunker. I wondered if he'd wait for you to come up or go down and massacre everyone. You, my teachers, the medics, the technicians, the staff and even Skye, crippled still from her first battle with him, just lying there helpless and…"

She couldn't carry on, breaking down into a sob. Nigel waited patiently, not saying a thing, until she composed herself.

"It's the worst feeling ever. It made me second guess myself. I… I can never look at my paws or use my powers in the same way again, knowing what they did. I had a dream before then, and doing what I did then turned that dream to ash… And I'd never wish that feeling on my worst enemy, but I… but I… I…"

He stepped closer, holding her tighter, as she managed to speak out. "I did that to you! I did it twice! The first fire, and you didn't abandon me there. You saved me… And the second… the second time you feared for you and your family as I came in screaming and burning like I must have done in your dreams… I made your nightmare a reality and you… you… you didn't just abandon me there…"

"Why would I do that?" he asked, confused.

"You had every right after I… I did that to you… and then spat in the face of your apologies, mad that you dared to even feel that way… and I refused to message back when you tried to fix it and demanded that Bogo threw you out and help me disown you when you came in person to apologise, I…"

"You had every right to do all of those things after what we did to you," Nigel said, beginning to tear up too. "We were the monsters there, not you. Anyone would act like that…"

"Like a jerk," Brittany said, a hint of contempt in her voice.

"Like a normal mammal," her father comforted. "A normal mammal hurt beyond belief by those who should have loved her the most."

…

"But I scared you in a way that no one should be scared," she said glumly. "Least of all by your own daughter. Least of all twice. I… I understand why now…"

"Understand?"

"If you had those kinds of dreams…"

"I did," Nigel confessed.

"Dream or Dreams…"

"Dreams," he said, sadly. "Dreams where you were so upset, and screamed at us, and some fire shot out and started burning us before you realised what went wrong. Or when you accidentally made a little fire from the pain, and trying to put it out just made it worse and worse. Or…"

"Then I understand why you did what you did," she said, moving to look him in his eyes. Sad eyes met sad eyes, fixed on each other, both glossed over with tears. "I understood the why before, but I couldn't understand the how, but now… now I do… now I do."

She did. She looked on and didn't see the mammal who somehow let his fear override his love for her. He was the mammal who she'd terrified to the bone, and whose dreams she'd haunted, and who she had expected to be no different because of that. He was the mammal who she'd hurt, the pain leading back to that which she had felt. She knew how the fight with Jack had made her feel and she knew now what he had felt, and it was all okay. She understood now. She understood.

"I forgive you," she said.

"What for?"

"For everything, you poor old fox."

She leant forwards and hugged him tight, tears of joy coming out of her. Nigel look on, completely at a loss, before glancing at her and holding her tight, crying too.

"And I'm so sorry," she said.

"For… for what?" he asked, confused.

"For scaring you. For being a jerk. For…"

"You don't have to be sorry for anything," he said.

"I do!" she cried. "I do… so please… please… I know it might take some time, and you were happy to wait, so… -so am I, but…"

"I forgive you," he said. "Even if I don't think that there's anything to forgive."

"Thank you," she wailed, as both she and her father broke down, embracing each other. He was her father, she was his daughter, and that was all there was to it now. They loved each other, like anyone else. Though, for both of them, some things still needed to be sorted out.

.

.

Stepping back inside, Nigel saw Delilah and Kinsey looking at them and made a quick shooing motion with his paw.

"Come on dear," his wife said, looking down to her little one. "You can sleep in my bed tonight."

"Are Daddy and Brittany okay?" she asked.

"We… we just need some time alone," he said, Brittany nodding in return.

"Would a hug help?"

Brittany laughed, breaking through the lingering turmoil of emotions within her, and she opened up her arms. "No harm in trying, sweetie."

The little vixen raced forwards and half-leaped onto her, holding her tight. The elder sister smiled at the action, before smiling as it was repeated on her father, a little grin of his own appearing.

"That did help," he said, ruffling her scalp before leaning down to give a few tongue grooms along the top of her muzzle. "Thanks a lot, but I'm afraid it's well past bedtime." She nodded her head and he planted a quick kiss, before she wandered off with her mother.

The room was quiet again, and they looked around awkwardly. Nigel turned and noticed a new nightie, laying out for Brittany. "I'm guessing Kinsey laid that out for you."

"Aaaw," she said, holding it out. "To be fair though, I don't mind that my current clothes are a bit smoky…"

"It's more the dampness which I think would be the, uh, issue…"

She looked on curiously, before her eyes widened. "You've got to be…!" she hissed, as her paw went down to her crotch area. She paused, though, finding it only slightly damp.

"No," Nigel sighed, holding back a giggle. "Not like that. Just… tears and melting ice."

Brittany sighed with relief, before feeling the rest of her current nightwear. It was a bit damp and clingy, still moist around the neckline from her tears. She felt the soft and dry new fabric and held up a finger. "Just one sec…"

She slipped into her room and quickly changed, before coming back out. "Better," she noted, smiling.

"I think so too," Nigel said and, together, they settled down on a sofa, tired from what had just gone on. Brittany herself felt exhausted, and sober to boot but, looking at her father, she felt sympathy and shame about how she'd treated him.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"You don't need to be."

"I do," she said, before pausing. "I feel like I do… I feel…"

"Guilt?"

She nodded her head.

"Shame?"

"Yeah," she said sadly.

"You shouldn't have to," he comforted her.

She just shook her head, "It doesn't matter. I… I made you feel those dreadful things and put you into that situation."

"And I took the wrong choice to get out of it," he said.

"You'd never have to make that choice if it weren't for me."

"The first time was a pure childhood accident," Nigel said. "And… and maybe if I hadn't of panicked when I saw you with that fireball, the whole thing wouldn't have happened. If I'd kept calm and got you to put it in the sink or under the shower… or talked you into dissipating it…"

"You made a mistake," Brittany countered.

"I made terrible mistakes."

"So did I," she said glumly. "I… I never wanted to do to others what I'd done to Jack, or put people through what he did to me, but I broke that promise before I even made it…"

…

"You were a child who made a mistake," Nigel said. "Children are allowed to make mistakes. Adults shouldn't."

"I still made the mistake," she huffed.

…

A paw on her shoulder, which she didn't react to. The sense of it being pulled, and his body up against hers. It felt warm and comforting, but the little ghost in her mind that had previously warned her of an ulterior motive now said that she didn't deserve it. It pushed it away. It…

"It's not time, to make a change… Just relax, take it easy… You're still young, that's your fault… there's so much you have to know…"

Her ears jerked up at the singing, and she turned to her father. It was off tune and well off key, but he sung it to her, and every word was as sincere as could be.

"Find a todd, settle down… If you want, you can marry… Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy…"

…

"You don't know how it goes on, after that, do you?" she said, choking back a laugh. He sighed and shrugged.

"I can ad-lib…"

"Go on then…"

"It's a shame, all the pain… that we caused each other… And we both, don't know, how to let go…. But think it through, what you want, not what you think you deserve…"

She giggled slightly as the tune broke, but let him carry on.

"As I'll always love you, and want you back…"

She smiled, before trying it herself. "How do I know? What I feel, I'm just so messed up... All that rage and pain, now sorrow and shame… I just want it to end, to have a happy ending… I see a door open up, wide for me… But I feel like it should slam in my face…"

…

"I screwed up the ending there," she noted.

…

"Your voice is beautiful, you know that?"

She looked over at him, and noticed that she was right up against him. Paw holding paw and tails entwined… "No," she said, "I didn't."

Nigel sniffed, his eyes blinking as they began to water over. "I didn't either. That's my fault."

"I don't blame you for it," she said.

"I was a coward."

"Anyone could be after feeling that…" she countered. "I can't hold it against them… But I can hold me being a jerk against myself…"

"Anyone could be a jerk after going through what I put you through," her father said. He looked away before sighing. "It's a bit silly isn't it."

"What is?"

"You had that gut feeling holding you back from loving me… that told you to hate me… and now it's gone, replaced with a feeling that tells you that you don't deserve me."

"Do I?"

He paused, looking at the floor. "Maybe not, but that's only because of how wonderful you are."

…

"I want you, Dad. I want to love you again."

He choked back a sob. "I want my daughter back too."

They turned to face each other, nuzzling slightly, Brittany suddenly feeling terribly tired. She let out a great big vulpine yawn, her mouth opening up wide and her tongue curling up like a cobra ready to strike. Just as she was finishing, her father caught it too, and she barely suppressed a giggle. She let her paw slip forwards and stroke his face.

"Maybe we could spend a day together, like I did with Mum today."

Nigel nodded, thinking. "Kinsey will be seeing the grand zoo on Outback island tomo…. Today, even," he said, noticing the time. "We could spend the day together?"

She smiled, suddenly feeling a soft happiness throughout her. "Yes. I'd love that."

"Do some father daughter things," he suggested.

"Uh-huh," she replied, before turning away to think. There was something… Something big… Something huge and nagging… Looking down at a cruise manifest, showing the picture of the great waterpark at Joey-Joe bay where they'd be heading to, only increase the urgency.

She took a deep breath in and turned to her father. "I have an idea," she mumbled.

"Are you sure? You don't seem so keen," he said.

She nodded slowly, looking down and fussing her foot with embarrassment. The same she'd felt in that store with Skye and Judy, when she'd lingered by the least embarrassing armbands that she could find, trying to push herself to buy them but failing. "It's… kind of a big father daughter thing that we didn't get around to doing," she said, feeling the embarrassment come back.

He smiled a happy smile, which somehow made it all the worse. She breathed in, steadying herself, and out it came.

"Can-you-teach-me-how-to-swim…"

She flinched, waiting for the laugh or the comment about how stupid she was coming on the holiday without knowing how to do it. As the silence continued, she felt the humiliation rise, and dreaded whatever cutting comment was going to come even more.

.

…

A paw touched her shoulder, and she felt herself being pulled into a warm, comforting embrace. She hugged back, managing to smile as she held onto him.

"Brittany," Nigel said proudly, as he stroke her hair with his paw. "It would be an honour."


	6. Chapter 5

**AN: Once again, a big thank you to my excellent proofer, LapisLucius42.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 5:**

.

"You ready?"

"Yeah," Brittany replied, nodding as she stepped down into the pool. It was fairly early in the morning, and most of those who were up had already left, going on-shore at Outback Island. Delilah and Kinsey were among them, the latter jumping up and down in joy at the chance to see the famous reptile zoo that the outlying district hosted. They had left after an early breakfast, the whole family trying some huevos rancheros, leaving Nigel and Brittany onboard. Food settling, the pair got changed into their swimwear and had gone to the indoor pool. Built to allow all but the largest mammals some swim-time during bad weather, it was still a large size for the two foxes, though no other mammal was really interested in it thanks to the outdoor options. Even so, a few checks came first to make sure that there weren't too many mammals around, and then the lesson was ready to begin.

"Try sitting down on the bottom," Nigel began, holding his daughter's paw as she began to squat. She felt the cool water percolating through her fur as it rose up until only her head remained above. It was still a strange feeling given that the ZED didn't have a pool, or even baths, as far as she was aware. Regardless, she took a deep breath in and then lifted her feet off the cool floor, watching through her goggles as the water flowed up around her. The ends of her nose were filled in, though there was no unpleasant sensation of water tracing down her sinuses, while her eyes remained dry and useful. The noise of the outside and the warmth of the sun on her fur had gone, replaced by an odd peacefulness.

The occasion ripple from the wind or her father sailed by.

Rays of light danced down.

The tiling on the pool floor shimmered as shadows moved across them.

She held her breath and felt no urge to breath or reason to panic. She just went down, floating there, though not sitting on the ground as she'd planned to. She let go of her father and, with both paws, she fanned down, pushing herself closer to the bottom. She got nearer, but it seemed that her body was being insistent about not sinking.

She guessed that, in the grand scheme of things, that was a good sign.

The pressure in her lungs had begun to build slightly, though it was a pressure to breath out rather than breath in. She cautiously obliged, watching on with curiosity as a bubble emerged from her mouth and sailed upwards. She also noticed herself sinking slightly and, breathing out some more, she sunk further. Her paws still fanning, she felt herself bumping on the tile floor. More exhaled breaths, and she didn't need to push down any more.

She was there, sitting underwater.

The pressure on her lungs was building though, and she didn't know how much longer she could last. She tried blowing out of her nose rather than her mouth, but flinched as water surged deep into her muzzle.

Definitely a swimming no-no.

Her time up, she got back onto her feet and stood up again, breaking through the surface and taking a deep breath in, before blowing a load of gunk out of her nose.

"How was that?" her father asked.

"I… I don't sink," she observed, smiling a bit. "I'm pretty sure that's a good sign."

He chuckled but let her carry on.

"Also, breathing through your nose is a big no-no."

Nigel stood there, watching, and smiled. "So, you're a bit safer in the water now. Basic swimming is nice and easy, and once you get into the groove you should be good. After that, we can work on some of the fun stuff."

"Where do we begin?" Brittany asked.

Nigel looked on, pausing for a second, before turning and standing with his daughter. "It'll be easier if we go a bit deeper. Have the water come up to our shoulders."

She nodded, and together they walked into the deep end of the pool. Turning around to face the shallow one, her father began cupping his paws and moving them in a circular fashion. "Do this, you should feel some lift."

"Okay, I… oh yeah," Brittany agreed, her swimming motion lifting her heels off the floor.

"Right," Nigel instructed. "Trying jumping and doing the same with your hindpaws. Keep yourself off the bottom."

Together they did as she was instructed to, Brittany growing a silly smile on her face as she floated there, suspended off the ground.

"Stand up again."

They did so together.

"Now," he began. "Do the front paws and then lean forwards. Jump off and do the back paws too. Your head should be kept well out of the water."

He went first, doing as he said. He was soon doggy paddling in place, checking over at his daughter.

Brittany followed. Leaning forwards, front paws paddling. Jumping off, back paws joining in. Her eyes widened in their goggles as she felt herself not only lift up, but be pushed forwards. It was so simple, yet it felt like so much of an accomplishment. "HA!" she almost squeaked, in what was a laugh of joy. A giant grin on her face, she swam forwards, soon noticing her father cruising up beside her.

"Fantastic work!" he said, and she felt proud about it.

Together, they spent the rest of the morning and the early afternoon in the pool. At first, it was just practicing Brittany's doggy paddle. She became more confident, swimming faster, getting used to the transitions, and quickly learning to hover in place. At several points, her father put out his arms and she, laying on top of them, practiced various other strokes. While she could do the big three: backstroke, breast and front-crawl, only breast came close to being as easy or as fast as the paddle, something confirmed by her father.

"We're not really built for them. You need long arms and legs for those," he noted. "Or flippers…"

He made sure to give her plenty of practice on the breast stroke paw movements and, despite her creating an awful lot of splashing, the crawl foot movements. Together, they were necessary for underwater movements, something the paddle couldn't do. It was hard work, but soon her kicks had more power and a lot less splash, though she knew that much more was desired.

Growing a bit tired, they then moved on to her underwater confidence. She would go under in a ball and performed movements and rolls. Her father would then toss her about, laughing and having a lot of fun as he did so. Her world would spin and roll, her balance going crazy, but she soon got good at correcting herself and getting back to the surface. They even got a few jumps in, feet first from the poolside diving boards. The water would race up past her, but she felt confident in getting back to the surface again.

Together, they tried the next level up.

And the next…

Though the one after that was too scary for both of them, and the less said about the few higher levels the better.

Back on the second level, Brittany's goggles came off on one of her jumps. She'd panicked at first, her eyes open, but then she noticed that the water didn't sting that bad. Her vision was blurry though, and she felt a slight pain when breaking the surface. She decided not to go without goggles just yet, but chose to practice without them a little each day, in hopes of becoming used to the water without them in the future.

On their last dive, she and her father finally decided to try the third level. It wasn't a diving board, rather a straight jump. They held each other's paws and looked on nervously at each other as they mustered the willpower. Brittany noticed that her paws were getting cool, her nervousness, and the desire to share that with her father, triggering her powers a bit.

She pulled it in, looked forwards, and her gaze hardened. "Three," she began.

"Two," her father added.

"ONE!" they shouted together, racing forwards and leaping off.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

They hit the water together, sailing down through it. Her goggles still on, she could see the floor of the pool come tantalisingly close.

She was going to touch it.

She emptied her lungs, even as her father began to rise, and pushed down with both hand paws. Rolling over and going head first would take too much time, but she felt confident with going feet first. The pressure on her lungs built as she came close, feeling a wave of satisfaction as the tiles touched her paws. She went a bit further, until she was squatting, before jumping up. She kicked with her legs and fanned down with her arms, quickly rising up.

The surface and the sun was coming closer…

But she felt the pressure build and build, a suddenly flash of worry and panic coming though her. She closed her eyes, a terror creeping through her as she pushed harder and harder and…

She broke the surface, immediately drawing in a massive breath. Paddling in place, she breathed out and in again, out and in, before chuckling.

She smiled, a hit of adrenaline coursing through her.

She may have to do some practice, seeing how long she could stay under, but she'd done good today. She'd done good.

Together, she and her father got out of the pool and decided to relax for a bit in a jacuzzi. Sitting down in the hot water, she held his paw and even snuggled up to him a bit, though most of the snuggling came from him.

After that, even though they were beginning to feel hungry, she insisted on trying some of the slides. A few of the traditional flumes, which dumped her into a little pool of water, were done first. She felt no worries about the brief spell she spent completely covered. The cyclone pool that Kinsey had wished to go on was another matter, but she'd work on that. As for the rainbow slide, she thought about doing that with her father, but she decided not to.

She would do it with her whole family instead.

The time approaching three, they finally left the waterparks. Having a shower to remove the salt, and shaking off in the booths, they fired up the fur dryers before running the brushes that they'd brought through any spiky fur. Exiting the drying areas, Nigel spotted Brittany and held up his paw. She didn't know what he was doing until he tipped her head down, tilted his sideways, and gave her chin a few good licks. She felt a rush of comfort and happiness as he did so, before standing up to look at him.

"You missed a spot, dear," he said, a small but radiantly warm smile on his face.

Brittany gave a giant, joyous one back in return and, not speaking a word, gave him a giant hug too.

He flinched a bit before looking down. A tear escaping the corner of his eye, he embraced her in return.

.

The hours in the pool left both foxes famished. While a main meal was due soon, Brittany joked about grabbing an ice cream now. Her father paused for a bit to think before shaking his head and smiling. "Just don't let Kinsey know," he said with a wink.

"I won't," his daughter chirped back.

They soon approached a small ice cream stand, a bored looking elephant dressed up in an old-fashioned uniform inside. He looked at the pair sceptically as they began to speak.

"Two single scoop small mammal cones please," Nigel said. "One chocolate, and…"

"One strawberry."

"…I can't do that," he said sternly.

Nigel pulled back a bit, scratching the side of his muzzle. "I-uh, we don't mean any harm…"

"Now listen," he lectured, holding up a sign and planting it in front of them. Brittany looked on, her eyes wide, as he placed it down directly in front of her father, almost touching his nose. "You probably can't read, but this sign…"

"Hold on!" Nigel interrupted, his paw up. "You're entirely right… I can't read it…"

The elephant paused for a second, his eyes widening, before he turned down to watch Nigel dig into his bag. His mouth opened into a little 'O' as the fox brought out a pair of glasses and planted them on his muzzle.

"That's better now," he said, turning to the sign. "And… oh, I see…"

Brittany stepped back and got a good look at it, pausing as she read through.

.

' _This large mammal establishment only serves untreated chocolate products, and is not licensed to serve these to at risk species such as smaller Canines. Carnivoral Cruises would like to inform customers that we have many establishments for smaller mammals which are licensed, and also serve safe chocolate._

 _Stay theobromine aware._

 _Stay theobromine safe.'_

.

"Ah," he noted. "Make that two strawberries."

.

Fifteen minutes later, two strawberry ice-creams had been devoured. The father and daughter, their hunger stayed for a bit, went down to the main deck to find a real meal. Neither was in the mood for the haute cuisine from the night before, be it still in their stomach or an unknown number of miles away in the ocean.

Instead they found themselves sitting in a beetle's diner, decked out in the chrome and plastic stylings of the 60's. There was a line of mammals waiting around a jukebox to plug in their choice, Elkis was currently playing, and Brittany felt herself grooving to the tune.

Nigel meanwhile looked around smiling, appreciating the diner. "I barely remember when the last real one of these went out of business… or rebranded itself."

"I would have thought you'd have grownup all around this kind of thing," Brittany noted.

Her father scoffed. "I'm not that old," he protested, taking off his glasses to look around. "I mean, I was born halfway through the sixties, but I don't remember anything from that decade…"

She just looked away, loudly sucking her strawberry milkshake through a straw and swinging her feet to the music of the king. A big open grill was in full view, bug-burgers going on and cheese being melted on top. Onions were cut up and caramelised. Patties assembled. Both foxes eagerly saw a platter full of sliders and fries coming their way, and get placed in front of them.

"That looks unhealthy," Nigel noted nonchalantly, before picking up a slider alongside Brittany and tucking in.

While she was used to white meats such as chicken, and less of a fan of bug-burgers, Brittany felt herself rethink her choices as she tucked in. "Oh my," she noted between bites, "this is good. I mean the food at the ZED is awesome, but they must be missing something with their burgers."

Nigel, chewing his food and swallowing, turned to his fries, smiling as he did so. "Wax-worms," he said, taking a bite of the crunchy goodness.

"Wax worms?"

He paused, finishing his food before turning to explain. "I'm surprised you didn't learn about that. They're a type of mealworm, bred for their fat content… given that preds like us do like fat in food. They were historically used to make candle wax too, hence the name."

"Okay," Brittany began, contemplating her food for a bit before taking a massive bite regardless.

"In the nineties,you had a public health push, the dangers of fat and stuff, and the public sector was barred from using them in their food products, be it canteens in offices, prisons, army camps or schools..."

"Ah," she said, nodding her head in understanding.

"At home though most preds who could choose didn't care though," he noted. "We remember the vegetable and vegetarianism pushes of the twenties and thirties. Prey thinking that they're doing the right thing, only to cause all sorts of nasty health problems by mistake."

"Or it might be jealousy," Brittany said with a smile, holding up a menu. "I mean none of these herbivore options sound good at all. Just crappy salads or a mushroom burger."

Nigel smiled a bit. "Even today Brittany," he began, picking up some spilt pickles and other toppings with his fork. "Even today, herbivore selections at pred restaurants are a joke."

She smiled, pausing for a bit to think. "What do you call a tiger taking a moose on a date to Bugburga's?" she asked.

Nigel muffled out something that sounded like 'I don't know' through his full mouth.

"An impending breakup."

He choked back a laugh, but still managed to smile anyway.

They carried on eating and talking, enjoying the setting. After their sliders, they shared a proper banana split with all the toppings before leaving.

"So," Brittany asked, thinking back to what had been said. "You said you don't remember much of the sixties. I'm guessing you're more of a seventies kit?"

"I'd say eighties," he pondered. "That's when I was free to go out and stuff. Being a teen you know."

Brittany nodded but stayed silent, until she saw his eyes widen with alarm and a terribly guilty look appear on his face. He turned to apologize, but she quickly cut him off. "Not offended," she said suddenly. "Not offended…"

She smiled, and he calmed down, relaxing again.

"So…" she continued. "What kind of things did you do?"

He paused at a map of the deck, flicking out his glasses again as he studied it. A smile grew on his face as his claw touched a little area. "How about I show you."

.

' _WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA_ '

"Incoming ghost!" Brittany warned with alarm.

"Taking evasive manoeuvres," her father replied, pulling the joystick to the right and changing course. Brittany's eyes flicked from the right of the screen to the left, and watched as he turned up and down, deftly navigating the maze.

"You've got the orange one on your tail!"

"You think I'm going to let Clyde of all ghosts stop me!" he boasted, leaning in like a predator as he played the arcade. Brittany stepped back nervously, tensely watching on as a horde of ghosts slowly moved towards the pacmammal he was controlling.

"The cherry is in play!" he said out loud.

"Too far away, you won't get it."

"I'm going for the cherry!"

"No!" she yelped, her clenched paw coming up to the side of her mouth as she watched on in dread. He escaped the clutches of his pursuers, but they were catching up. The cherry was almost there, but for how much longer.

' _WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA-WACKA_ '

"The cherry is mine!"

"Make your way to the last of the dots," she directed, before gawking as he went the other way. "NOOOOOO!"

"Oh, she of little faith," he chided, turning down and weaving around. The ghosts, all in a line, were catching up as he took a long route to the other end of the dot trail. They were getting closer and closer, tension in the air. Every second brought his failure nearer and nearer, until he made it.

Into the line of dots, the ghosts seconds from winning.

And then into a power up pellet.

"YEEEESSSS!" Brittany yelled, paws up in the air as he turned around, devouring all four flashing ghouls together.

"YESSS! YESSSSSS!"

He turned around again and took the final few pellets. The ending music played and he stood up, crossing his paws and looking on proudly. He uncrossed them though when Brittany came up to him, giving him a high-eight.

He carried on playing after that, Brittany his honorary navigator, and managed to land an eighth place position on the top scores. They celebrated together, Brittany even inadvertently sending a few sparks of flame from her fingertips. She'd been alarmed at first, but her father said that he didn't mind getting the fireworks.

They laughed at that, before carrying on over to some of the other games. First Donkey vs Kong, then the rest. Many of them were multiplayer, and while she usually lost, her father would always give words of encouragement and tips. She loved every second they spent playing and didn't mind losing to him at all, though a few more wins would be welcome.

It was later on, approaching the time that Delilah and Kinsey would be returning, that they began to leave. They'd won a little parrot plush that could grip onto your shoulder, and on Brittany's he perched.

"ARGGGHHHHH!" she said.

"Oh help me, my daughter is a pirate!"

"Ye be right, Dad of Zootopia. It is I, Brittany Voxen, come here to plunder ye!"

"You don't look like much of a pirate," he said.

"Arggh! I'm not too fond of thee peg leg. Though an eye patch and a gold fang, I can get behind."

"Oh," he queried, "the dread pirate Brittany Goldfang?"

"ARGGGHHHH! The merciless Brittany Goldfang!"

"May I say, the adorable Brittany Goldfang! The loving Brittany Goldfang! The fantastic and delightful Brittany Goldfang!"

She broke down chuckling and nestled up next to him, bringing a warm smile to his face. She was happy and as contented as could be…

Until she saw a burly sheep messing around with the pacmammal machine. He wasn't playing it. Instead he was laying his hoof on it, letting the screen fizzle and splutter, until it came to a game-over screen with a ludicrously high score. Three million, three hundred and thirty-three thousand, three hundred and sixty-one points to be exact. His hoof still touching the machine, the words EXTRA-RAM were entered almost instantly before the high score was saved.

She looked on, wide eyed, as his name took up the top nine spots of the leaderboard, her father's score long gone.

Her temper ticked over though as he repeated the process again, removing all trace of any real players achievement.

"Hey, you!" she shouted.

Her father paused but backed away slightly to give her some space, while the ram turned to give her a cocky smile. He was joined to his side by a familiar looking deer, who called out mockingly. "What's the matter captain killjoy?"

"Your sheep friend is the matter," she accused, marching up to them. She only came up to the chest of the sheep and the deer's groin, but she didn't give a damn. She turned to the giggling sheep and growled. "Do you enjoy using your powers to show up others?"

"Yeah," he said condescendingly, leaning over an unphased Brittany. "What's it to you?"

"I don't know," she grumbled. "Maybe angry that you cheated my father off his place on the leaderboard. Maybe angry that you're misusing your powers…"

"What do you know of powers?" he joked, holding up a hoof and flicking the parrot plush off of Brittany's shoulder. Her ears flicked as her father walked up to her and picked it up.

"I'm not going to tell you to leave these guys alone," he whispered hoarsely into her ear. "But it's okay to go… Keep calm, they're not worth it."

She turned to him and held up her palm confidently, before turning back and studying the ram. He still had a cocky grin on his face and had brought out a giant bottle of cola, swilling the liquid inside around. She eyed it, and a faint smile grew on her muzzle.

"I know a lot more about powers, and what they can do, than you do," she said quietly, closing her eyes and breathing in and out.

"Yeah right," he mocked, before holding up his cola to take a swig…

…

His eyes trained over to his drink, frozen solid in the bottom of his bottle. He then turned back down to face Brittany, an oddly curious look on her muzzle.

"Brittany Voxen, Assistor to the ZED," she said proudly.

The sheep shrugged. "I still have the better score than you."

Her smug looked dissolved, her eyes narrowing. "You didn't earn it."

"But I have the better score than you!" he teased, kneeling down to her and sticking his tongue out.

She took a breath in, reflexively pulling her anger safely inside of herself, before growling out. "Undo your cheat, right now…"

"NO!"

"DO IT!"

She was cut off as two hooves pushed her back into the machine, her head turning to face the deer. "Or what?" he mocked.

She breathed in and out, looking between the two, before stepping backwards. She spotted her father and nodded. "You're right," she grumbled bitterly. "Not worth the effort."

She turned and walked away, her father turning to. There wasn't much she could do against them, given that they weren't breaking any laws. She'd likely have to catch him in a casino or something to get him into any trouble. Some fights, she reminded herself, she couldn't…

"YEEOOOOOWWWWWW!"

A flash of pain surged up her tail, making her leap up into the sky. Her legs kicked about and she turned in flight, watching a startled deer, bits of his fur singing, running away. The sheep looked on in alarm as she fell into a pile on the floor, dazed and confused as she lay in the melted carpet. She vaguely realised that the shock must have triggered a flash of her heat powers, before she felt an assault of freezing cold raindrops slam into her, driving her into the ground and chilling her to the bone.

"ARGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Her hot flash had triggered the sprinkler above her, and it was now pouring out and dousing her. She curled up into herself, glancing around confused, before she noticed all the faces suddenly staring at her.

No.

She didn't like that.

She really didn't.

She vaguely heard the ram coming up and trying to say he was sorry, that his friend was a jerk for doing what he did.

The deer though, patting out the few bits of singing fur on his face and regaining his composure, looked on and pointed at her. He then laughed. He laughed a lot.

Brittany felt miserably, but she tried to control herself, focussing on standing up even as she got even more soaked.

Then she saw another familiar face from the corner of her eye and turned to face him.

She remembered why those others had seemed familiar.

They were the friends of that fox, and there he was. Looking at her. Just… looking…

She shied away, stifling a sob but failing to do it a second time. Another came, and another, as she felt shame and embarrassment and humiliation. The only saving grace came when she felt a familiar arm wrap itself around her and pull her out of the sprinkler. She cradled him back and poured her sadness into him, stumbling as the water in her fur turned to ice. She hobbled on though, out of the wafts of snow that she and the sprinkler had created, and away from the laughs of the deer and the gaze of the fellow fox.

.

.

.

"I'm fine…"

"You sure."

"YES."

They were back in their cabin, Brittany having changed into a comfy dress of hers and huddling up against her father, both sharing a blanket. She slowly nudged up against him and felt his arm wrap around her shoulder. He watched as she pulled it further around herself. He hugged her tighter, but stayed quiet, watching her breath and calm down.

"Does it still hurt."

"…Does what still hurt?"

"Your tail."

"No…" she said, closing her eyes and slumping her head hard to the side.

…

"I'm not mad at you or anything," he said, Brittany piquing her muzzle as he spoke. "You acted maturely with them, and when that deer stomped your tail… if you want, I can go call security and report him. They probably have a video feed."

Her lips moved from side to side as she thought, before a sad sigh came out of her. "I'm fine," she said. "Thanks for the offer…"

"Is there anything that you want?"

…

"Just keep on hugging, please," she said, turning to face him. Nigel smiled as he saw the small one on his daughter and reached up a paw to rub her head. His grin grew wider as she tipped her head up and let out the odd purr as he did so, before ending it all with a lick and a kiss to the cheek.

…

"Are you worried about… about…"

"About what?"

"If your power might have really hurt someone back then?" Nigel asked.

Brittany paused for a second or two thinking, before shrugging. "No… I mean, if it did, I guess that might have been self-defence… It was reflex, not something I controlled or… I don't know. But that isn't something that is bugging me."

"Good to hear," Nigel said. "But tell me, what is?"

Her head turning, she looked at him sceptically. "How do you know something's up?"

"Because I do."

…

He looked down as a paw gripped his, and he placed his other on top as Brittany spoke. "There was… there was a fox there," she said sadly, turning away a bit. Her lip was quivering as she felt a new rush of shame and sadness come through, though she tried to speak through it. "I… I was him yesterday and… and… I think I have the hots for him. But… but he saw me make a total idiot out of myself!"

She barked out the last sentence before burying her head in her father's chest, whimpering and crying. Grabbing the sheets, Nigel wrapped them up and brought them around her with his paws, safely cocooning her and hugging threw it.

"Shhhhh…. Shhhh…." He said. "He's just a stranger. You'll never have to…"

"But I don't want him to be a stranger!" she cried, before choking back a few sobs and letting out a whimper. "And… and what if that's how everyone sees me. Just… just a crazy who'll burn them and… and… and look stupid!"

"It isn't."

"And what if it is!" she sobbed, Nigel flinching as he felt the whole room chill down. He brought the blankets up closer to her, and began rubbing and stroking her harder. "What if no-one ever loves me because of it… and… and I end up alone!"

Nigel was silent for a bit, thinking over what to do, before he spoke. "Firstly, it isn't. You're powerful and talented and have a lovely heart. Secondly, you'll find someone who does love you. I'm sure of it. And thirdly… thirdly, just cry out into me until you feel alright, okay?"

"Uh-hu."

"Good…" he said. "Then we can talk."

.

Fifteen minutes of emotional instability, and a further fifteen minutes for another shower, and Brittany was out again. This time, she settled down next to her father to watch the tv, using it to distract her from what had happened before. They still cuddled though, and that was how Delilah and Kinsey found them.

"Aaaaaaaaaawwwwwwww"

"Yes Kinsey," Brittany said. "I've got Dad today."

"You love him?"

She turned to gaze at him, poking his nose. "Yes, yes I do."

The little vixen's eyes lit up, and she raised her arms and jumped with joy. "YAAAAAAAAY!"

Talk about the girls' trip to the island followed, with Kinsey showing off her toy snakes and lizards and Brittany her pirate parrot. She even joined in with some make-believe games until the little kit began to get tired. She and Nigel still full, the other two left to grab some food, leaving them there.

…

"You know that fox you like?" Nigel said.

"Yeah."

"If you see him again, give him a chance."

Brittany froze, gulping, before she shook her head. "I'm not sure. He probably thinks I'm an idiotic out of control klutz, and who knows what his friends said about me…"

"…Or, he was confused. If you clear it up, you and he might get on together."

Turning to look at him, she tilted her head to the side with confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be super anti-boyfriend? Chasing them away and scaring them?"

He blinked a bit, shrugging. "Why would I be like that?"

"Because…. Because that's what dads do!? Because you want me forever and don't want some boy taking me away, especially one who looks like he did."

"I… I admit he looks a bit tough," Nigel admitted. "But I know that you can more than handle anything he sends your way. You're… you're tough and strong and can hold you own, and I lost the right to tell you how to live your life long ago. As for what I want, I want you happy. If you think he'll make you happy, go for it."

Brittany smiled, and leant over to hug him. "Thanks. I'll… I'll try if I see him again."

"And I'll be here to help."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

.

The next morning was warm, and stretched on long and blissfully. Brittany spent most of it on the couch, wrapped up with Kinsey as they watched the little one's favourite cartoons. The elder sister, having never seen them before, looked on curiously and sceptically. But it was all in good fun though, especially when she'd whisper the plot holes and stupid moments that she spotted into Kinsey's ears. Paw batting, pushing and shoving would come through after, though it was never serious and always in jest, Brittany finding the behavior far more entertaining than what was playing on screen.

Well, in most instances.

The odd song might come on and she'd stand up and begin dancing. Her right shoulder jerking backwards and forwards, a playful smirk on her muzzle, as she took her sister's paws in her own and began the foot work. Turning around, tapping out here and there to the beat, she grooved as her sister leapt up and shook about. At one moment, she put her paw on the little vixen's nose and leant down. Her feet toeing back, while her paw kept the contact on, Kinsey looked on enchanted as her sister reached the edge of her range, their eyes level, and playfully twisted about and gave a flick of her tail. The theme song on the tv had long since ended, but none of them minded. A playful wink and Brittany raced back in, gripping Kinsey around the waist with her paws and pulling her up, spinning her around as she giggled and shrieked in joy. Brittany had a goofy smile on her too, and it stayed that way even as she spotted her smiling mother filming them.

She let off a quick salute with her paw before hoisting Kinsey up, cradling her as she moved over to the sofa.

" _Roger-roger_ ," she said, her voice sounding like she was holding her nose. " _This is redtail unit one, over the bombing site over. Preparing to open the bomb bay doors and drop the W-M-D!_ "

Kinsey's eyes opened with alarm just as the paws holding her up retracted. She shrieked as she fell and landed in a pile of pillows, her tongue panting out from the excitement. She was nervous for a second before a little smile grew on her muzzle, though she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to do it again. She shuffled over to the back and peered up over the edge, looking on deviously at her sister. Brittany was occupied though, grabbing her father's paw and raising it up high, letting her pirouette beneath it. She bowed afterwards, leaning over to Delilah, phone still in paw, and hugging her close to give a kiss.

It was going to be a long, hot, lazy morning.

But all four of them didn't want it any other way.

.

"FIVE!" Kinsey called, before swooping down with her putter. It hit her ball and sent it flying, bouncing back and forth along the course until it reached the highest point of a seesaw. The whole thing began to teeter, leaning forward, as the ball slowed.

"Come on!"

The seesaw fell, but the ball rolled back faster, over the pivot and back to the first point of the course.

"YOU STUPID BALL!" Kinsey shrieked, throwing her club down as she stomped off for a strop. Delilah ran off after her, calming her down with a paw to the shoulder and some soft words. Despite her comfort, she was still moody and began walking off, her mother patiently following her.

Watching on, Brittany placed her ball down. She was bringing up the rear of the scores, or rather topped them, depending on how one viewed it. She waited as her father, the pack leader by some way, came up and helped her. Guiding her posture, straightening her arms and getting her ready. Brittany, meanwhile, studied the course as she tried to work out the best strategy. Kinsey's ball lay off to the side a bit, so there was a clear path for her. She adjusted herself using the tips that she'd been given, looking down as she did a few quick practices, before firing the shot.

It rolled forwards, narrowly missing Kinsey's ball, and moved up the seesaw. Holding her breath, she watched as the ball hit the back and went straight through the hole, not even needing the seesaw to tip over. Landing on the green beneath, it rolled to the side for a bit before coming to a rest, in line for a straight shot to the real hole. This section of the course was a par three, and Brittany felt confident that she could do it. She watched on as her father began his second shot, his ball clipping the hole and coming out at an odd angle, a fur's width from going in. Delilah had a long second shot too, but this time managed it. Then Kinsey came, her mother helping her calm down and focus. Her ball went askew, bouncing up the seesaw and barely reaching the midpoint before coming back down.

"It's a good position for the next shot," her mother soothed, though the little vixen just gritted her teeth and let out a growl. Delilah wasn't impressed.

"Kinsey! Manners!"

Still looking stroppy, she cut it off but still sulked.

Brittany's shot next and it went forwards, stopping fairly close to the hole and giving her an easy shot next round.

Her father easily made the next shot.

Kinsey shrieked with joy as she finally passed the seesaw.

And Brittany pumped her fist as she made the next shot, dead on par.

It took Kinsey three more putts to get the ball in, leaving her with a score of six for the par three course. It was half of the distance between the two sisters, and by the last hole it had closed in. The final score may not have been much, but to Brittany, beating her sister by one point felt good.

It felt damn good.

.

After the minigolf came more swimming. This time, they all went on the slides, Brittany between her sister and mother as they went down the rainbow slide. The teenage vixen still didn't feel like going on the cyclone flume, but thankfully Kinsey was too small and young. Instead, they went on all the other flumes at least half a dozen times. Wherever possible, Brittany had her sister on her lap, and they went into the water together.

Then came the pool.

Kinsey wanted to play water tag again and Brittany, adjusting her goggles, was ready for it.

The little vixen jumped off and the larger one followed, doggy-paddling as fast as she could.

Her eyes widened with shock as Kinsey raced off in front of her, giving her no hope of catching up. With a huff she stopped swimming and stood up, annoyed and pondering a new strategy to win. To outflank. To corner. To sneak up on.

She grumbled as she realised that, even if she did catch Kinsey, her sister would easily catch her back and tag her.

There had to be a way though. A way to come out of this on top. Pulling her goggles off her face as she thought, she saw a sudden flash of red in the corner of her eye.

It was him again.

She turned to stare at him, the sharp looking red fox, his skin-tight trunks moving forwards and backwards, teasingly being shown and hid by his sleek crimson red and pure white tail.

She felt a prick as she bit her lip, before her eyes narrowed.

None of the worries she'd had the day before remained, instead replaced with desire and confidence.

She was Brittany Voxen. She was a superhero. She was going to do this.

She moonwalked over to the other edge of the pool, pushing herself to arrive at the poolside as he came past. There was a ram with him, albeit not the ram who'd been the start of the incident the day before. She paused a bit, wondering how to introduce herself, before she realised with a shock that he was right by her. An image of her pulling him in, them splashing about, and her saying 'hey sexy' as he emerged came into her mind, but she shook it away. Even she knew that that wasn't a good idea, even before her mind finished it off with her snogging him.

Instead, she brushed the back of her paw against the back of his leg, watching as the fur caught up and then flicked down. About halfway up, he jumped.

"Woah!"

She flinched back as he landed and turned down to face her, his head tilting to the side in curiosity. Brittany gulped, suddenly realising with an icy terror that she didn't know what to do next.

Just as she was about to let out a very awkward 'uhhhhhhh', potentially followed with a quick 'hi', his eyes widened. His whole body relaxed and he looked away. "Oh, it's… you."

"Yeah," Brittany muttered, looking away also, suddenly beginning to feel a bit embarrassed about this whole arrangement. "It's me. I was…"

"Listen," he interrupted. "I'm… I'm terribly sorry about my friends, Lucas especially… -You wouldn't even know that he'd grown out of his spots! Is… is your tail okay?"

Brittany sighed with relief and smiled. "Don't worry about it, it's been through worse."

He chuckled. "Well you're a ZED agent, aren't you? I mean it comes with the job."

She paused, thinking back to that one terrible moment when it certainly was subjected to worse, alongside the whole rest of her, but shook it off. "It was… it was an anomaly…" She paused for a bit before chuckling. "I've only officially had the job for a few months, really, and it's an assistor, not an 'agent'."

"I thought they were called enforcers," the ram said, and Brittany shrugged.

"Enforcers are the ones who fight. I help out with other emergencies," she explained. "Calling an assister an enforcer is like comparing a cop to a firegirl."

"Yeah," the fox chuckled, "you're… you're hot stuff, aren't you?"

She guffawed, looking up at him, eyes meeting eyes, and feeling a pull that wouldn't let her break contact. It was like tunnel vision, nothing else was worth looking at, and any of her remaining nerves disappeared.

"Cold stuff too," she boasted, "I go both ways on the thermometer!"

He hitched a bit with a laugh. "That's cool."

"Yeah," she boasted, leaning forwards and spreading her arms out over the poolside. "Icy cool!"

He looked at her for a few seconds, those sharp amber eyes thinking, before he glanced up and down again. "Must be great, having that power and such."

He pulled back a bit as she sighed. "It is," she said, "but it can be a real pain."

His head tilted far to the side in confusion. "How come?"

"They're… they're… they're tied to my emotions," she explained, scratching an ear absentmindedly as she did so. "Which means that if I get too angry and don't keep it in, things can get a bit scary for others…"

"Oh gosh," he gasped. "I'm so sorry, I…"

"Don't be," she said, perhaps a bit too harshly. For some reason, what he was saying and the way he was saying it really rubbed her the wrong way.

He paused though, before asking. "How bad is it?"

Brittany looked down, then back at her parents, who were minding their own business on their deck chairs. She looked forwards, her head tilting down, and sighed. "I had to go to the ZED when I was eight after… an incident, and I grew very distant to my family there. But we have reconciled and are on this holiday to… you know."

"Oh…" he said, pausing. "You're a ZED academy kit." He looked away and chuckled. "I used to dream of going there, I think a lot of kids did, given how cool it seemed… Though you need powers to even have a chance."

Brittany looked at him curiously as he shook his head and shrugged. "Anyway, glad we could clear things up. Hope you have a great time."

He turned to walk away, Brittany's eyes suddenly going wide with alarm. Feeling a powerful urge push her on, she sidestepped and grabbed his ankle, turning up to see him pause and look down again. He looked at her blankly and, though she had a few odd nerves, she spoke.

"My name's Brittany," she introduced.

"Oh-uh, Sam," he said.

She smiled. "I know a nice deer called Sam. What about you?"

He blinked a few times. "What about me?"

"Are you nice," Brittany teased, running her paw up his leg. "Or are you naughty?"

He looked on confused and started to step back slightly, looking wide eyed at his friend as he did so. There was an awkward silence as he briefly glanced down at Brittany, before relaxing, turning back to face her properly. A smile grew across his muzzle, his lips pulled up wide and his mouth parting slightly in a goofy fashion. He knelt down, close to Brittany, and took her paw in his own. "I think I'm very nice," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Nice enough to ask whether you are wanting me as a friend, or more than a friend right now, before I do something dumb or…"

"Definitely more than a friend," she said confidently, gazing up close into his eyes. She pulled him closer, wanting more of that face, and watched as it lit up with joy. He looked up to his ram friend and shrugged, the sheep giving a sly salute back.

"You know what," he said. "Just now, I didn't really care if you were a friend or not. But now…"

"But now, what?" she asked, feeling excitement begin to course through her as her heart beat faster.

"I don't think I'd mind a pretty girl like you as more than a friend either."

Her eyes went wide, and she bit the end of her lip to hold in a squeal of joy. He, meanwhile, had a huge happy look on his face. She felt it pulled away from the sleekness and danger that she found so attractive about him, but she didn't mind. Instead she watched as he tipped himself into the pool and rolled over beneath the water, standing up next to her, nose to nose.

"Let's get to know each other," he said.

She nodded and smiled. "Let's."

.

An hour later, and five foxes walked into a pizza buffet off the ship's central mall. Delilah and Nigel came in first, holding paws as the former talked about how it was like her old place of work. Then came Brittany and Sam, slightly nervous paw holding slightly nervous paw. Finally came Kinsey, her arms crossed as she stomped in, a venomous look on her face that was directed straight onto the new todd. Regardless, they all settled down and began eating, Nigel, Delilah and Sam going for salad first and the girls going straight for the pizza, though only one was touching it.

"I could live off of these salad buffets," Sam said. Like Nigel, he'd put on a T-shirt, though his was a very thin orange one, as compared to the elder todd's grey collared one. He stood upright in his chair, digging a fork in and picking up a heap of shredded carrots, diced beetroot, sliced cucumber, baby tomatoes, sweetcorn and pickled peppers, all covered in multiple dressings.

"I did for a while," Delilah giggled, "with some tinned sardines helping on the side."

"Naturally," Sam noted, shrugging.

"For a long time I worked in a pizza den, before going into a catering company after Brittany was born. All the workers got their share of leftovers and I'd go for the salad." She looked down and patted her stomach as Sam laughed.

"Yeah, though the pizza dens don't have the honey and mango dressing, do they?" he noted, looking at the orange sauce that dominated his plate, putting the thousand island and the sweet chilli into their place. He took a big bite and chewed on it as Brittany, a slice of anchovy pizza just going into her mouth, nodded in support. Kinsey turned her head and screwed up her eyes, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

Nigel looked down at his younger daughter disapprovingly before turning back to Sam. "So, I'm guessing you know what Brittany does?"

"I do," he said, nodding. "You must be really proud of her."

There was a pause as the two oldest foxes turned to look at each other before looking back. "Honestly," Nigel said with a sigh. "Honestly, we often believe that we don't deserve her, and that she deserves so much better from us."

"Oh don't say that," Sam replied, his paw going up to his heart. "I spent a few years away from my parents and with some relatives. We grew a bit distant, but that quickly solved itself…"

Brittany looked at him and her parents nervously before speaking up. "The past is the past, mistakes are mistakes, and the future is the future," she said. "Can we enjoy the present?"

Nigel and Delilah relaxed, smiling warmly, and Sam turned to face her. "Well said," he commented, patting her shoulder with his paw. She felt her body go tense from the touch, her fingers and toes curling up as a little wave of glee came through her. She was enjoying this. She really was. This was awesome. This was…

"THIS ISN'T FAIR!"

"Kinsey!" Nigel scolded, looking down at his youngest daughter.

"This is supposed to be a family holiday!" she yelled out, pointing at Sam. "It's supposed to be us and my sister, and not some boy stealing her!"

"Brittany is an adult," her father warned, "and she's free to do what she likes. How would you like it if you found a friend, and she said that you weren't allowed to play with her!"

"But that's different!"

"How?"

"It… it… it just is!" she stated, boldly crossing her arms and pointing her muzzle away from the pair. Nigel frowned and walked over to the empty chair next to her. "I want you on your best behaviour from now on, or you're in trouble. Understand?"

"Yes," she said sharply, before resuming her silent protest. Nigel sighed, and looked up to Sam and Brittany.

"Sorry about that," he said.

"No worries," Sam replied.

"I kind of found it funny," Brittany added with a smile.

The four adult mammals carried on eating, Kinsey occasionally taking a little nibble from her own food as they went on.

"So," Delilah asked at one point, "what do you do?"

"I'm a concept artist for a video game company," Sam explained. "I have a sketchpad full of work back in my cabin, and we're planning to get a game out when we return from the cruise."

"That gang of yours design video games?" Brittany asked, curious about it given that it wasn't anywhere near her first impression of the group.

"Yeah," he said proudly. "Isaac, one of the sheep and a friend I met at school, is empowered. He's a code weaver, and was a billionaire before he reached his twenties."

Brittany's eyes widened. "A code weaver…"

"He can picture an end product in his mind, and perfect code to create that comes out," Sam elaborated. "I think there's twenty or so of them worldwide, and they're all super-rich given how they can be contracted out, but our gang agreed to look after each other in school… before he found out. So he only does the weaving part time."

"Way to mansplain about the code weaver," Brittany chided, liking it when he rolled his eyes dismissively.

"Sorry," he said meekly.

"Don't be," she whispered into his ear, feeling a rush as she did it.

"That's good of him," Nigel commented. "And to be fair, the whole thing with the high score isn't that bad… It's just that Brittany can get very determined if she sees something that she believes is wrong."

"I think she's very determined period," Sam noted.

Brittany let out an evil little chuckle. "I saw you, I wanted you, so I went to get you."

Nigel and Delilah looked at each other, before the latter leaned forwards. "Dear, I know you're new to this, but even though vixen's lead in relationships much more often than females in other species… just make sure that you don't push too hard."

"I'm fine," she swooned.

"I don't think it's you who she's worried about," Nigel noted, all eyes moving onto Sam.

He chuckled a bit, looking nervously away, before shrugging. "I'm new to this too… But it's fun not having to do any work so far."

Nigel broke down into a giggle, shaking his head. "If this doesn't work out young man, I'm afraid you'll have to get used to working your paws a lot and getting no reward."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, carefully moving his arm closer to Brittany. His eyes opened in alarm though as a paw snaked behind his back and pulled him in tight. He felt her up against him and, after a little bit of alarm, settled down. "Though it seems I might not need to."

Everyone laughed at that, bar Kinsey. The little fox stood up, pouting, and spoke out. "You're supposed to be on holiday with us!"

"She is," Sam calmly said. "She's on holiday with your parents, you and me." He swept his arms around as he said it before bringing them back. "With all of us."

"Maybe I'll get a boyfriend, and then you'll be jealous," she simmered bitterly.

Sam looked on, enjoying every second of it, before turning to Brittany. "I think she's jealous…"

"You get powers and you get a boyfriend, and you leave us alone when you're supposed to be with us!" Kinsey accused, Nigel turning to warn her. "Well," she carried on, "I don't need you then! I'm not going to ask to see your powers again. EVER!"

Nigel stopped as she stopped, before clearing his throat and speaking. "You're not in trouble, but I think we should go for a walk and have a chat. Understand."

"Good idea," she said defiantly, staring at Sam as she got up and was led away. There was an awkward silence in their absence, as those that remained looked at each other. Slowly though the mood lightened. By the time Kinsey got back, most of the food had been eaten, and after she muttered out an apology, it didn't taken long for the sulky little vixen to gobble down her share too. They left, agreeing to split up, Sam and Brittany heading off paw in paw by themselves.

"So… you met my parents before the first date," she commentated. "Bit unconventional."

"Says you," he noted.

She rolled her eyes. "I have been in the driving seat so far. So… what do you want to do?"

He paused. "Uhhh…"

"Surprise me," she said.

"With anything?"

"With something that's totally you," she teased.

He closed his eyes and pulled his head down. "Something that's totally me? Anything? You won't be…"

"If I am," she said, nervous yet excited as a crazy idea came into her head. "If I am, I'll suggest something instead… Something… -Kinky!"

He paused for a second, noticing a nervous squeak come out of her after what she'd said, as if the full weight of the implications had just crashed down on her. Sam just shook his head. "You crazy vixen you."

"I just feel that I want stuff…" she noted nervously, turning away and blushing as she avoided eye contact. "So why not get it?" There was a pause, as she scratched the back of her head just below the ear. "Could you… pretend that that didn't just happen?" She asked nervously. "Please…?"

He shrugged. "Just remember that a todd acting like you would end up like a good ostrich steak. Tenderised, sprayed with pepper, and a-salted."

She burst into laughter, the air heating up around her, as he led her on.

.

.

.

Not long after, in his luxurious cabin, they sucked on strawberry milkshakes as they looked on. "This wasn't what I was expecting," she noted.

Sam looked on nervously. "You… you're enjoying it though?"

She looked on at his TV, showing a pair of teen girls gathering at some outdoor tables and then cutting to some boys doing the same on some outdoor bleachers, before looking back at him. "I've never seen Lanolin before, but I'm enjoying it now with you."

The music began, the two snuggling up and Brittany's paw tapping on his shoulder to the beat. Her ear flicked up as she noticed him singing, and she joined in.

"Du…Du-Duh…Du-Duh…Du-duh-duhhhhh…

Du…Du-Duh…Du-Duh…Du-duh-duhhhhh…"

"Summer lovin' had me a blast," Sam sung, looking over to Brittany.

"Summer lovin' happened so fast," Brittany sung back.

"I'll say," Sam joked. "I met a girl, cute as can be…" He cut her off with a paw and sung the next line. "I met a girl, who's crazy for me…"

"You'd better believe it, tiger," She almost snarled, feeling a rush as he quivered a bit. They turned back to the film, picking up at the chorus and singing it together.

"Tell me more… tell me more…"

.

.

When Brittany finally returned to her cabin that night, figuratively glowing with happiness, she'd half expected that to be the question on everyone's lips. Instead, Nigel and Delilah had been happy for her, though her mother had had a little chat about whether she was in heat or not (she wasn't) and on other things to keep in mind (Eeeew, they weren't there yet (though now it was brought up…), but she'd act sensibly.)

Kinsey meanwhile gave her the silent treatment, scooting away from her when she tried to sit down next to her. She kept it up, bar an angry warning that if she wanted to leave then she could, and that she didn't care for her or her 'magic powers'.

Nigel reminded her of the talk they'd had and she grumbled out an apology. Brittany, a bit irritated, asked her to explain exactly why she was angry, what she wanted done, and to justify it all.

She jumped off the sofa at that point and marched back to her room.

"A teenager already," Nigel noted, before looking over to Brittany. "I'm sorry about how she's acting."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Don't… She probably thinks Sam is stealing me or replacing her or something. Trust me on that, it's a horrible feeling."

…

She gulped at the silence that followed, and stood up to look at her parents, guilty looks on all three faces in the room.

"Sorry," they all muttered at once, before pausing and relaxing. Brittany lay back on the sofa and relaxed, patting either side and gesturing to the television.

"Want to sit down and enjoy something?"

Delilah looked to Nigel and Nigel to Delilah and they both nodded. "Yeah," they agreed in unison, and together they did.


	8. Chapter 7

**Well, I'm back from holiday!**

 **It's been a little while getting this next arc ready, given that I wanted it complete so my proofer (the excellent LapisLucius42) could give the heads up on the whole thing. This means though that we should be some nice regular updates, quickly getting us to the titanic conclusion of this little subplot.**

 **This whole thing of the cruise was meant to be one big but fast chapter, but things flowed differently, instead becoming a whole arc, likely for the best. However, while researching for the upcoming chapters, I had a bit of inspiration. The result is 'Familiar Fire: Frost and Thaw', a little 'what if?' one-shot that shoots off of the original fic. It goes at the kind of pace I imagined the holiday arc going at, so I'd be interested in hearing which of the two styles people prefer.**

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* * *

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 **Chapter 7.**

.

It was a bit later than usual when Brittany woke up. She felt like having a shower though and, after checking with the others, went in for a quick one. She shampooed her fur and washed all over her body, before leaning forwards and just enjoying the hammering of the water as it percolated down to her skin.

She let out a relaxed sigh.

It was the fourth day of her holiday.

By lunchtime, it would be halfway over.

It was a sad thought, given how much she'd both enjoyed the time she'd been having and how much progress had been made with reconnecting with her family.

She chuckled, wondering if there was any more left to be done.

Had someone told her before they left that she'd have forgiven her mother completely by the end, she'd have looked at them sceptically. Instead, she'd forgiven all of them, well before the halfway mark. She didn't believe in gods or celestials or higher powers, but she wondered whether there was some form of balance. Some form of karma. And it had decided to repay its many, many debts.

She turned off the shower and shook herself off, before grabbing a towelling robe and stepping out into the cabin. Her father was up, and was nibbling on some toast as he watched the news.

"Mind if I have one," she asked, Nigel nodding in response. Settling down next to him, snuggling up, she picked out a piece of toast and took a healthy bite. The taste of blackberry jam exploded onto her tongue and sent her tail wagging.

"We'll wait for the others," her father said as he turned back to the screen, studying it through his glasses. Brittany turned as well and looked on. Though she hadn't been a follower of politics in any sense, she recognised the scene in front of her. It was the Zootopia council chamber, Mayor Lionheart wearily answering questions that were being fielded to him.

"He doesn't look very happy," she noted.

"No, he does not," her father agreed.

The Lion carried on talking, trying to calm down various other mammals who were harrying him. A grey goat with a bristly beard was particularly outspoken, continually standing up and lashing out at Lionheart, bringing up the same buzzwords over and over again. _'Accountability, responsibility, security of defence, morality, value for money…'_ There were continual references to abuses of power, and dangerous mammals being brought into positions they should have never been considered for. Brittany looked on at it all, confused.

"Want me to bring you up to speed?" her father asked.

"Sure," Brittany agreed.

"You know how Zootopia and the United Mammal States are connected but politically separate?"

"Yeah, we're a city state under their protection, aren't we?"

"Sort of," her father noted. "Zootopian citizens are free to work there, and their citizens work here, and we abide by all their trade rules and stuff so that there's no barriers to trading with them… but apart from that we're independent. We were an independent colony that chose to stay that way, rather than become a state, though I admit it was mainly because we were rich and didn't want to share…"

"So, a city state _not_ under their protection."

"We're strong allies," Nigel explained, "but that goes one way really, as we don't have a proper army. Just the elite police in TUSK and the ZED." He turned back to the tv, watching on as Lionheart's grilling continued. "Lionheart wanted to change that. He wanted to set up a small, highly trained force to guard important assets like the ports, the grand Kula dam and its ship locks… It's one of the reasons why I voted for him but, from what I recall, there was a notable faction in his party that refused to let him raise the funds for it. He was able to get a compromise though, and that was being able to hire various mercenary firms to act like an army, so as to gauge the usefulness."

"I'm guessing the mercenaries have been causing some issues," Brittany noted.

Her father nodded his head. "Howlmeyer security and Alpha One, both canine composed, have worked fine. However, a few smaller contracts have collapsed, and the biggest company, Rhinohard, has been filled with scandals. I'm guessing they're not as careful with who they recruit, given how their soldiers have been caught doing all sorts of things. This latest scandal involved about a dozen or so soldiers scaring the daylights out of a young Ibex who was putting on a light show from her horns or something. They got the can, and it seems the same is about to happen to Rhinohard and Lionheart too."

"I get you," Brittany noted. "So what, there'll be a new election?"

"Unlikely," Nigel said with a shrug of his shoulders. "If there's a vote of no confidence in him and Lionheart's party can't find a new leader in two weeks, there'll be one." He looked over at the goat, who'd just sat down. "While I'm still worried about those reports of anti-vulpinism in his party, I'd be willing to give Mr Creamerman a shot."

"If they find a new leader, who might it be?"

Nigel sighed, before pointing at the screen. Brittany followed his finger, up to a small white figure.

"Is that Bellwether?"

"The one and only," Nigel noted. "She's a high-up in that breakaway faction I mentioned, and quite popular given how tough she seems against criminal empowered. Talks about standing up for the little guy and has been getting lots of support for her 'empowered rights and responsibilities' proposals."

Brittany felt a hint of worry shiver through her and reached down to hold her father's paw. "How… -if she gets in, what…"

Her father turned to face her and planted a paw on her shoulder. "I read through them and while they sound tough, it shouldn't affect you. Well, unless you specifically market or use your powers in the private sector. In that case, you'll be paying this 'solidarity' tax of hers to help those you 'took out of a job' or whatever."

"I still don't like the sound of it," Brittany noted.

"Neither do I," her father agreed. "And, however much I tell myself that it was just her doing her job as a prosecutor back then, I still don't like her. I won't vote for her for personal reasons, and I'm not afraid to say it."

.

The day slowly picked up in pace as the others got up and, together, they left to get breakfast. Kinsey had been excited to go to a creperie, only to deflate when they met up with Sam there. Both Brittany and the mean looking todd looked over the menu, discussing what they'd like. After tasting it on toast, she went for blackberry jam as her topping. Sam had his with butter and sugar, along with cream and strawberries. She ate her food down quickly while he took his time, looking at her warmly as he chewed. Slowly, his tail made its way over to hers and, on touching, they both wrapped themselves around each other's. Brittany lifted her head at the feeling and looked to Sam, who quickly looked away, his ears flattening themselves on the back of his head. She noted that the embarrassed look cut away at his attractiveness, making him look less sleek and exciting, temporarily at least. Still looking away, he forked a strawberry, playfully scooping up some cream with it before holding it out, inviting her to take a bite. She leant forwards to do so, catching the end of the berry and accidentally cutting off most it. What was left tumbled off, much to her alarm. Her arm shot out to try and save it but missed, the piece of fruit falling to the floor.

"You only got a bit of it, didn't you?" Sam asked.

"If you're being generous," she snarked.

"I guess you got the short end of the straw… -berry."

She guffawed slightly, before leaning closer to him. She was learning that, while he looked fierce, he also had a very sweet and soft side inside of him. While seeing the hidden side didn't do much to perk her up in the way his looks did, and she still hoped that there was a bit of danger or excitement in him, she was learning that she very much enjoyed it.

She looked at him, and she saw him looking back, and she noticed a piece of cream just below his whisker area. Her vision already locked on him, seeing no reason to look away, and a feeling at the back of her head pushing her on, she began to lean forwards. Her eyes narrowed deviously as she moved her muzzle over his and closed her lips around the sweet cream, giving a sweet peck of a kiss as she did so.

Pulling back, she frowned slightly as he sat there looking gobsmacked, his tail wagging furiously behind him, but shook it off. She smiled again as he leant forwards and gave a gently, exploratory, peck to her nose.

She felt a rush of warmth burst out from there and spread throughout her, the tips of her digits and her tail tingling from the rush.

There was a beating sound, and her tail was wagging behind her, hitting a wall. She chuckled, realizing that she couldn't really complain about his reaction given hers. Looking into his eyes, and seeing him look back, she knew that nothing could take away from this mome…"

"EEEEWWWW!"

All eyes turned to Kinsey, who stood there frowning. "I still don't want to see your powers, and now I don't want your cooties either!"

.

After another word with Kinsey, the group moved up to the swimming pools and relaxed. Still on time out, the little vixen grumpily looked on from the side-lines as both Brittany, Sam and his friends played. There was an awkward moment when Lucas, the deer who'd stomped her tail, was forced to apologise by Sam. He'd given out a cursory apology or two to begin with but was pushed on aggressively by Sam, the fox angry and almost shouting at him. Brittany watched, her eyes glued magnetically to him as he carried on. His fur looked redder and whiter, his teeth and claws sharper, and she felt herself want him more every time he barked out or fired off with an outstretched paw, all against a deer many times his size. She could look at him and let the world go by as he did this, wondering what in the world would try to hurt her while she belong to him. She was so enraptured in fact that she missed it when Lucas fully offered up a proper apology.

She quickly snapped to attention though and accepted it, with the provision that she got to ride around in his antlers whenever she wanted to.

He seemed a bit confused by this, but agreed, to which Brittany said that she most likely wouldn't ask him for the favour, merely seeing if he was willing to do it to make penance.

After that, they'd enjoyed themselves. Brittany noticed that Sam seemed to be the goofball of the group, rather than the muscle, but she didn't mind them fussing his fur or tossing him about. She even joined in on it, her goggles thankfully keeping her eyes dry, enjoying the silly fun as things went on. By the time lunch was coming around, things had gotten more serious. Both Brittany and Sam were on the shoulders of the two rams, and Tai, the badger, was on top of Lucas's. The three larger mammals gripped the legs of the ones they were carrying tight, and the battle commenced.

Rushing forwards, Brittany held her paws up and pushed away at Sam, only to feel his paws grip her back. They began wrestling, him being stronger than her though less than she imagined. While she put up a fight, he was soon locking her arms around her back, the strain beginning to pull at her balance. However, she had an ace up her sleeve.

"Turn below!"

The sheep carrying her quickly followed the order, Sam's victory unwinding in front of him. Coming back face to face, Brittany let a grin grown on her teeth before crossing her arms, locking his together. He struggled back but was forced to let go as Tai and Lucas came in from the rear. He still gripped one of her paws, but she only needed one free. She dived forward, two fingers out, and buried them into his side, just above his trunk, and bored into the pressure point.

He buckled and bent, Tai grabbing his shoulder and Brittany, her other paw now free, giving him a push with both paws. He fell backwards, buckling over, and the sheep carrying him lost balance. They both fell back, together, as she turned towards the deer and badger.

They paused.

Standing just apart from each other.

Looking in.

Staring.

Waiting for the other to make a move.

Brittany, breathing deeply, studied her opponent. He had the advantage of having a pair of antlers to grip, making him the more challenging foe. His paws were off now, the antlers untouched. She noticed that the velvet was covered in water and an idea popped into her head.

Still though, she knew that it might go terribly wrong.

They still hadn't engaged, just circling one another.

Brittany began breathing deeply, calming herself down and feeling the coolness of that peace. She was going to test whether her plan could work, but some nerves still remained.

She channelled that peace towards a small spot on the side of Lucas' antler, her paw discreetly reaching out.

She watched the spot go white and then glistened, sunlight reflecting off of it.

Tai was leaning over to whisper into the deer's ear, but she was confident. She'd coat his entire set of antlers in ice and then they'd charge in, her hits easily pushing him off as his paws slipped. She was just about to tell her steed the plan when she stopped.

Lucas' paw was up at the point, rubbing it intently. He hissed a bit. "Must have cut it, or…"

"That's my bad," Brittany said, gathering his attention. "Trial run of my winning strategy. I was going to cover your antlers in ice, so he'd slip off… Sorry it hurt."

An aggressive smirk grew on his muzzle. "Oh…. No. It'll be you whose sorry!"

She looked at him, before leaning down and whispering her new plan into her steed's ear. She felt him shrug, before looking forwards. "Game on!"

They charged towards each other, Sam cheering her on, and, as they approached, she brought her feet up onto the sheep's shoulder just as he let go of her. Gripping his small horns, she coiled herself like a spring before releasing.

"AAARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Before Lucas and Tai could realise what was happening, Brittany was onto Lucas' antlers, gripping each one with her hands as her feet hit Tai's chest.

"RAIDING PARTY!"

The badger had no chance, kicked off his steed and crashing down into the water before he knew what was happening.

"VICTORY, FOR THE DREADPIRATE BRITTANY GOLDFAAAAAAAAAA….."

Her roar of victory turned into a scream as the deer she was on jumped and crashed down into the water, throwing his head down and her with it.

.

.

Later in the day, it was just Sam and the Voxen's, including Kinsey. They practiced swimming and played pool games, Sam making an effort to win over the little vixen. She was apprehensive at first when he offered to play water tag with her, but it was Brittany and her parents saying they would join in that swayed her. They kept themselves happy as time went on, until it was finally time for a late lunch. Brittany, stepping out to dry off and change, watched her little sister curiously. She noticed this and turned to her.

"I guess Sam is okay…" she mumbled, as they both arrived in shaking booths.

"I think he's more than okay," Brittany said happily, as she began taking her swimming costume off. She shook herself vigorously, before grabbing her towel and giving her body a quick dry-down.

"I'm still not gonna ask you to show off your powers…"

The older girl rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I care?"

"….YES!"

She chuckled, placing down the towel and reaching for some panties and her dress. Putting them on, she stepped out with Kinsey, turning to face her. "You're my sister, and he's my new boyfriend," she said. "I'm not replacing you or anything."

"I just don't like him," she grumbled. "…It doesn't help that he looks nasty. He looks like a great big meany!"

There was a gasp from behind Brittany and she turned to see Sam. He was looking on, his eyes wide and hurt, before he looked away. "I'll be with your parents," he said, walking off with his ears down and tail dragging on the floor.

Seeing this, Brittany scooted off next to him, grabbing his paw. He raised his head and smiled a bit, which made her feel better. "Don't you worry," she reassured him, stepping out with Kinsey. "You're my big meanie!"

As she said it, they reached her parents and she turned to talk to them. She didn't notice Sam there, standing still and wearing a thousand-yard stare on his face. He looked to the floor and sighed before shaking his head. He looked up again, pulling his mouth into a smile, and went forwards to join them.

.

The rest of the day was spent doing activities on the boat, the family rounding it all off by watching a water show at the stern. Various mammals, from otters to hippos, performed gracefully, and by the end everyone was hungry for a meal. It was another fancy one, just like on the night of Brittany's nightmare, except this time there were no issues. She enjoyed it, they enjoyed it, Sam enjoyed it. Even Kinsey seemed to be warming up to him, albeit in a begrudging manner. After finishing, they parted, Brittany and Sam giving each other quick pecks on the cheek, followed by a tight hug.

"You feel warm," he commented.

A slightly merry Brittany, a few glasses of wine down her, chuckled. "I must be letting my powers slip a bit. Want some more."

"Why not?" he said, his voice hushed and seductive.

Brittany channelled the comfort and warmth she was feeling and let it out, smiling as Sam giggled.

"Oh god. You're like a hot water bottle!"

"We totally need to go on a ski holiday or something," she giggled back, before she pulled him into a tight hug and then let him go. With a wave, he left them, Brittany returning to her cabin with the family. As she went, she felt a tug on her side and looked down to see a moody Kinsey.

"Why does he get the hot water sister?"

Rolling her eyes, Brittany moved to grab her sister, planning to hoist her up and give her it. Kinsey, however, jumped back, frowning.

"I'm still not gonna ask you for it."

"But you want it," the elder sister pointed out.

"I didn't say that!"

Brittany shook her head and opened her arms out wide, turning to make a sister catching lunge, only to feel a tap on her shoulder. She turned to face her mother, who leant forwards to whisper in her ear. "I get what you're trying to do, but you can be a bit rough and pushy with her… Maybe try to tone it down?"

She thought for a second before nodding her head. "I'll try," she said, before turning down to Kinsey. "So, no hot water sister for you!"

The little vixen turned as if to make a pleading or begging noise, only to stop, eyes wide. She turned forwards and marched up next to her dad, her muzzle pulled away, and stayed that way for the rest of the evening.

.

.

* * *

.

.

The next day was better. Kinsey, though still protesting that she'd never ask for Brittany to show off her powers again, was happy to snuggle, and where there was snuggling there was the chance to do the hot water sister. With no alcohol in her system, Brittany felt a tiny bit apprehensive doing it, but reminded herself that it was silly at such a tame use of her powers. So, wearing her short pyjamas and with a thin duvet wrapped around her, she pulled her sister in and wrapped her up. Cosy in the warmth she provided, Kinsey was soon burying herself into Brittany's chest fur, the elder sibling happily stroking or fussing her sister's. Kinsey purred warmly and loudly, which brought a smile to the larger vixen's muzzle, carrying on even as her sibling went back to her old ways.

"I didn't ask you to do this…. Remember."

It didn't matter though. Not to Brittany. It didn't matter that, back in Zootopia, the mayor was now facing a vote of no confidence in the next few days, and if he lost then Bellwether might take over. What mattered, here and now, was that she was with her family and that she loved them. She looked out of her cabin window and gazed at the white beaches, palm trees, and the looming water park in the distance.

Joey Joe bay, their destination. She, them, and Sam, they were all here to have fun.

And that was what they were going to have.

.

They played at the beach, doing volleyball and building sandcastles. They splashed about in the sea, Brittany quickly realising how fun the waves were. Soon she'd got her paws on a surfboard and wowed her family as she rode it back and forth. While still a very weak swimmer, she felt so much more confident balancing on the surfboard, even if she did try to stick near her friends and family. The morning was an utter blast and they quickly moved to a small pizza restaurant on a pier for lunch. It was as they ate that she spotted them.

A pair of wolves.

Brittany watched them curiously, both the small she-wolf and the great hulking alpha she sat by. While not so interested in wolves, she couldn't help but admire him a bit, given his wild jet black fur and the hulking masses of muscle beneath. She also noticed that he wore a brown collar with a nametag on it, his only item of clothing other than his swimwear.

His girl was the same.

The vixen looked at the collars curiously, wondering what it felt like to wear such a fashion accessory.

The pair, not noticing her, turned to each other, the male giving his mate a kiss and a quick nibble, to which she snuggled up closer to him. Looking closer, Brittany tried to see if she could make out what exactly was on the nametags but couldn't, and so she turned back to her food.

A far off ' _eeep_ ' turned her back though, pricking her ears and drawing her attention towards them. The girl had tried to get up, but her mate had different ideas, grabbing her collar with a single finger and pulling her back. As the action occurred, Brittany bit her lip and felt herself warm up slightly, unable to turn away. The girl had landed on his knee, which he moved up and down, all while whispering into her ear before letting her go again. The vixen felt a wave of envy for her, before shaking it out of her head. She scooted to her side and slipped beneath Sam's arm, smiling as he pulled her in closer. She felt his warm body and soft fur against hers and closed her eyes, rubbing against it.

She had her own boy, didn't she?

.

After lunch they began making their way over to a giant water park. All of them paused for a bit as a deep hum filled the air, the sound of airship engines. They watched as a large sky cruiser, likely filled with thousands of rodents, gracefully flew above them.

Sam let out a loud whistle, holding his paw up to shade his eyes and get a better look.

"Three engine pods, each with two props, two hundred and twenty metres nose to tail… After all this time, they're still flying the BW-NSN 100 class as cruisers," he noted. "In the future they'll probably fly for just as long as fruit transporters too."

Whatever class it was, they watched as the airship moved towards the mooring mast and tethered herself, larger mammals already working on pulling her down to ground level so as to let the small passengers off.

"Can we go on the airship?" Kinsey asked, looking up from her ice cream.

Nigel let out a snort. "I think they do sky cruises for mammals as large as wolves, but I dread to think of the price."

"If it weren't for all those loyalty points, and the fact that your school is closed for an extra few weeks, letting us get much cheaper prices, we wouldn't even be able to afford this holiday dear," Delilah pointed out.

Kinsey nodded in understanding, before her eyes widened with alarm. Her ice cream, piled high with various flavours, was about to lose all structural integrity. The little kit began licking it furiously, and Brittany stepped in to lend a helping paw. She calmed herself down, focused on the ice cream, and watched as it cooled down again.

Kinsey paused, turning to scowl at her. "Thanks, but I still didn't ask."

Sam groaned, shaking his head. "How long can you hold a tiny grudge for, little one?"

"Forever," she boasted, before turning back to her treat.

Brittany looked on, before shaking her head. "A lesser mammal would turn it all to liquid," she commented. She turned to face Sam, who'd been finishing his own ice cream. He offered the stub of cone that remained to her and she took it, eating it whole. She almost got brain freeze from it and could feel it chilling her down.

She paused.

An idea.

Closing her eyes, she sought out the heat, the world suddenly coming to light as her thermal vision power started. She used it to sail up high, seeing the glowing outlines of the sand and the hot paths, or the warm figures of mammals. She even saw into the airship, spotting the warm engines in their pods, along with a shimmering mass of tiny mammals, both on the decks in her belly and those in the sundecks located at her top.

She opened her eyes again.

Interesting, but not what she wanted to try.

She closed her eyes again, this time seeking out cold.

Strange bluish and greenish glows filled her vision, cool earth shaded by trees. A crystal blue glow in front of her, bobbing up and down and slowly being licked away, Kinsey's ice cream. Flying up again, she could see the green expanse of the sea, the flowing streams and cool pools of the waterpark, and even the ballast tanks and rodent size pools in the airship, all lined out along her keel.

Her eyes opened again, and she let out a playfully evil little chuckle.

…

"Coming up with a new plan to get your own back?" Sam called out.

She turned to him and shrugged. "Sorry, not yet. Should I even be?"

"You know," he said, pondering. "While I live in Zootopia, I come from a little fox town called New Reynard, and over there we have a proud tradition of 'getting' mammals."

Brittany felt a warm smile growing on her face. "Do go on."

"We'll have her begging for you to use your powers by the end of this holiday."

The teenage vixen turned back to her boyfriend and patted him on the back. "That sounds cunning, evil, and I am so in."

.

The getting could wait though, as they had the waterpark to enjoy. It was a blur for Brittany, slide after slide after slide. Many with her family, others with Sam, some by herself. There were large wave pools too, plus obstacle courses that floated on top of the water. Brittany pursued Kinsey across some of those, using her arms to hold the guidance ropes as the floats she hopped over tilted and twisted, trying to throw her off. It was tricky, but she had the advantage over her sister and was able to catch her up.

"Gotcha," she said, tapping her on the shoulder.

The little kit, who Brittany was happy to see was enjoying the day despite her dislike of Sam, turned and smiled, before jumping into the water and swimming away to a different piece of play equipment. The elder sister just look on smiling, counting down. "Ten…. Nine… Eight…."

Kinsey had already jumped onto a new section, a large inflatable obstacle course that contained multiple obstacles, many design to make an unwary mammal slip off and into the water at the side. Brittany, reaching the end of her countdown, jumped into the water and began the pursuit.

"You land and chase after her!"

She turned, and through the blue tint of her goggles she saw Sam.

"I'll wait by the side, catching her if she falls in."

"Can you do a shark impression?" Brittany joked.

He shrugged before pushing himself into a breaststroke, only his head and tail above the water, the latter sticking upwards and bending back a bit. As he began swimming forwards, he began singing. "Duuuu-Duh! Duuuuuu-Duh! Du-Duh! Du-Duh! Du-Duh! Du-Duh! Duhuuuuuuu! Duhuuuuuu!"

Brittany had to stop swimming so that she could stand up and laugh. She carried on swimming forwards again as he reached the side of the course that Kinsey was on, but had to repeat the action again as she heard a scream.

"SHARK!"

"ARGHHHH!" Brittany called out, finally hauling herself onto the inflatable. "And Ye got a pirate following YE! It is I! Dread pirate Brittany Goldfang! Avast Ye, little sister! For I am here to make ye walk the plank!"

"That's not fair!" Kinsey called. "Pirates and sharks are enemies."

"Not these two," she replied, beginning to close the gap. A plastic wall to her left, Brittany easily made it through the inflatable fingers that reached out to block her way, making sure to hold onto them for support as she went. Out, and next there was a little gap in the path, a small rope hanging above to help her go across. Brittany did so, but was so quick that she almost lost her balance on the other end, her paws slipping and her body leaning towards the water.

She recovered and carried on.

Circling around some columns that jutted out towards the water, requiring her to hold on if she wanted to get around. Over a mass of inflated rubber, made to look like logs. She let herself slide down the other side and easily slunk through to little hole that separated her from the rest of the course.

She saw Kinsey up ahead. Sam was still doing his shark impression, circling around as he waited.

Through a set of rubber fingers, like the first obstacle but vertical rather than horizontal.

She noted that this would be one of the few challenges that Kinsey would have found easier.

Through a gauntlet, various inflatable spikes facing inwards.

The little fox had just finished climbing up a small slope and slid down the other side, out of view.

Brittany, going through a narrow stretch of the inflatable and then manoeuvring around a huge hanging ball, reached the slope and gripped the handholds, quickly pulling herself up and over.

Down the other side, and Kinsey was halfway up the next one.

"ARHHHHH!" Brittany called, Kinsey turning around and 'eeping' at the sight. She tried to speed up her climb but slipped, sliding back down and bumping over the handholds, right into Brittany's paws.

"I GOT YE!"

"NOOOOO!"

"YES!" Brittany called, still using her pirate accent, before turning down to her captive. Her paws had gripped her into a tight hug, and her muzzle came down to plant kisses all over her cheek. Kinsey's mock terror turned into a mix of laughter and cries of joy, as she squirmed and wiggled.

"Want to finish this together?"

Kinsey nodded, so Brittany let her go, and together they climbed up the hill. Brittany waited for her sister at the top, even offering her a paw up, though she declined. "Just like with your powers," she said defiantly, crossing her arms at the top. They slid down, coming to the foot of a final climb.

Together they did it, until a last slide into the water presented itself.

Kinsey kicked off first, Brittany following a moment later, laughing as she did so. "Ye forgot about Sam the shark!"

Kinsey's eyes opened in panic just as she hit the water, and, as she herself hit it, Brittany watched her through her goggles, waiting for the attack.

But then she felt her sides buckle and her body convulse as two sets of fingers burrowed into the pressure points above her hips.

She was lifted out of the water, laughing and crying as the tickle onslaught continued. Her eyes were closed, so she didn't see Kinsey laugh at her out of pure joy.

She did hear the voice in her ear though.

"She's right! Sharks and pirates are mortal enemies!"

The tickles decreased a bit, and she was hoisted up, Sam moving to cradle her. Hold her. Keep her as his own. She looked up into his sleek face, his sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight as she saw him grin. It was fantastic. Brilliant. All this was. This was the Sam she'd been waiting for! He really was a shark, she thought. _My Shark…_

"You were getting a bit steamy," he noted, moving to poke her nose. Brittany felt a wave of alarm, but it went away as he turned to Kinsey and joked. "Turkish bath sister."

The little kit just floated there, her head tilting to the side sharply. "What's a Turkish bath?"

"A steam room," Brittany explained, before turning to look up at Sam. She'd been active and pushing this thing the whole time, but it suddenly felt so so good for it to be reversed. To be cradled by him. Held by him. Gripped by him and possessed by him. She was lowered slightly, so the water took a lot of her weight, but he still carried her as they moved away from the inflatable.

She looked up at him and felt a pull to his face. There was nothing else in the world worth looking at…

Time seemed to slow as she slunk an arm around his neck and pulled herself up, her mouth approaching his.

He turned to her, his eyes wide, but then he relaxed, leaning in to make the connection.

Her lips felt his, and they parted, her mouth twisting to be at right angles to his. She felt her mouth part and slip along his as his parted and slipped along hers. She felt the rows of teeth move past and open, and a sudden shiver as she felt the roughness of his tongue on hers. She closed her eyes, beginning to close and bite and suck and wanting the same in return, wanting this moment to….

"EEEEEWWWWW!"

They both parted, the moment ruined, and turned to face a frowning Kinsey. "That's gross! Stay away! I don't want any cooties!"

She turned and rapidly swam over towards Nigel and Delilah. Brittany, turning up to Sam, frowned. He turned and nodded back, knowing what she was thinking.

"We need to get her with the biggest get that was ever got in the history of getting got!"

"Got you," Brittany replied, nodding her head. "Now… where were we?"

They both answered the question in silence, moving towards each again. Lip met lip and muzzle met muzzle and they interlocked, teeth raking over teeth and two tongues twisting together. They sucked and pulled and nipped, pushing and pulling, as a load of steam began to envelope them. Afterwards, Brittany would notice it and nervously ram it down inside of her, wanting to forget that it happened. Sam, however, noticed the slip of her powers but didn't see any need to bring it up.

After all, he was a mammal, and some mammals, him being one of them, liked it hot.


	9. Chapter 8

**AN: Two things. Firstly, researching for this chapter gave me the inspiration for 'Familiar fire: freeze and thaw' a little AU oneshot of the original fic which I did. Splitting off the canon timeline due to a slight difference that occurred on Brittany's 18th, feel free to check it out.**

 **Secondly, as I was a big fan of Sanctum 2 back in the day, how could I not name Skye Skye Autumn. I'll have to do a sanctum au fic eventually…**

 **... just like the mortal engines one with Annabelle Fangmeyer.**

 **Anyhow, sorry for the delay in this chapter, it was a tricky one to get right. I'll try and have the next update ready for one weeks time max:**

 **.**

 **Chapter 8**

.

Waking up, Brittany slowly got out of her bed, slipping down the ladder carefully so as not to wake Kinsey. She reached over to the bedside table and picked up her phone, quickly making sure that it was connected to the ship wifi before exiting the room.

Out through the lounge, which she was glad to see was empty.

Out onto the balcony, the warm air flowing past and the sound of the sea rising up from below. She closed the door, opened up an internet app, and placed a call.

.

…

"Hey! BREE!" came the cheerful voice from the other side.

"Hi Skye!" Brittany chirped back, glad to hear her friend's voice.

"You sound good! Everything going good?!"

Brittany chuckled, fussing with her hair, before replying. "Better than I could ever imagine."

"That's great news! Getting on with the family?"

Brittany smiled, before replying. "Better than that."

"Woah," Skye teasingly responded. "How much better?"

The red fox slowly breathed in and out, before replying. "It's all water under the bridge…"

" _EEEEEEEEEEE!"_

Brittany flinched back a bit, but still had a smile on her, as her friend squealed out. She pulled her phone back to her ear as she carried on.

"That's… That's amazing…. Oh gosh, I'm so happy for you!"

"I'm happy for myself too," Brittany replied, waving about a bit. "I found it very easy to forgive Mum and Kinsey, who's an awesome little sis' by the way, and then I had a kind of epiphany and everything with Dad healed up."

She heard Skye sniffing from the other side, before Skye responded.

"Bree, all I wanted was for you to be is happy. And this makes me so happy…" There was a slight chuckle before what sounded like a tutting came through. "I really needed this good mood moment. I was being a _really_ rainy Skye these last few days."

Brittany paused, worried to hear her friend feeling down. "You okay?"

"Yeah," came the nonchalant reply, before a pause and a sigh. "Bree… I'm not sure if you've heard the news."

"About Lionheart and Bellwether?" she asked nervously.

…

"Yeah, those two, and how we might be losing one as a mayor soon and getting the other," came the glum reply. "With Lionheart… from what I gather he'd be fine pardoning Nick if we come clean about what went on with him, but… But with Bellwether, we all think that she'll still try and charge him for resisting arrest and all that other stuff. I…"

"Don't worry Skye," Brittany said. "We'll figure something out."

"I already have," she noted. "But… but it will cause a lot of pain and bad blood and… Urgh!"

…

"You okay?"

…

"Bree," Skye said softly. "I… I've seen how much mammals lying or withholding information from you, all because they think it's the best thing to do, has hurt you. And… and I know I'm guilty of that too. And it's unfair..."

"Skye," Brittany asked softly, flinching again as she heard a sniff.

"I'm going to try and pull something, something that could screw up the ZED if it goes wrong and cause a lot of pain. I want to warn you now, even if it all goes right and you're worrying for nothing, because I don't want to…"

"Skye," Brittany interrupted. "It's fine… It's fine…"

…

"It is?"

"Yeah," Brittany sighed sadly. "Don't talk about it… I'm on holiday, so you don't have to be cloudy if you don't want to…"

…

There was another sniff before a happier voice came through. "Thanks Bree."

"You're welcome."

"Now," Skye began, sounding much happier. "How have things been going?"

Brittany smiled, glad to move on, before speaking. "Well, I forgave them. We've had lots of good food. We've been playing a lot, and using all the waterslides and pools. I might be a good surfer!"

There was a chuckle. "Wow! I'm now imaging you in a hula skirt. Next time we go shopping, I'm totally going to buy one for you."

"Nice!" Brittany responded, before pausing. "There is one thing though…"

"Hmmmmm?"

The red fox vixen looked around, making sure she was alone, before sitting down and retreating into a corner, holding her phone closer and whispering. "I've got a boyfriend…"

"Ha-Ha!" Skye chirped back merrily. "Wow! Really living up to that vixen stereotype, aren't ye' Bree!"

Brittany paused, a mirthful look on her face. "And just _why_ is that funny?"

"Awww…" Skye cooed. "I still remember you coming in. It doesn't seem that long ago that you were a little kit, and now you've got a boy toy!"

"A boy toy?"

"A boi toi…"

Brittany burst out laughing, before holding the phone closer. "He isn't a toy Skye. He's nice and sharp and dangerous, like a shark!"

"Ooooh!"

"But he's kind and sweet on the inside too."

There was a chuckle from the other end. "A shark with a heart of gold for a pretty mermaid, that seems fitting."

"Oh no," Brittany corrected. "I'm a pirate! ARGHHHH!"

"ARGGHHHH!" Skye arghhh'd back. "And what is thee pirate name?"

"Goldfang," Brittany spoke. "Brittany Goldfang, dread pirate of the sea and sky!"

On both ends of the phone, the two girls descended into laughter, Brittany hearing Skye snort as she cleared her throat.

"I mean… wow! Heee-heee…" Skye said. "Does he treat you nice?"

"Yeah…" Brittany drawled on. "He's really quite nice…. Though I'd like a bit of naughty or strong in there too if you know what you mean. Like when he tickle attacked me yesterday, then cradled me before we kissed."

There was a pause, Skye humming as if she was thinking, before carrying on. "Kinda… We all have our types, don't we? As long as they're good and nice, that's the main thing."

Brittany nodded, before pausing. "What's your type."

…

"Skye?"

"-Oh, I…" she began, before humming a bit as she thought. "I… I used to have a thing for smaller mammals, especially the ones who dressed smart. Used to think of it as kinda cute!"

"So what," Brittany began. "A little red tod in a business suit?"

"I was… -I was kinda flexible species wise, back before the… -you know."

Brittany paused, biting her lip with worry. "Skye, is this personal, or…"

There was a huff, and then an odd silence. Some strange sounds came through before Skye, suddenly sounding much sadder, spoke. "I-uh… I'll tell you, because I'm not gonna lie to you, but it may take some…"

"Skye," Brittany interrupted. "I don't care what it is. If you don't want to say it, you don't have to."

…

"Thanks Bree," Skye said with a sniff. "I mean… -heh, being a real cloudy Skye there, sorry about that. Also, it was a good thing that my time in that bed kind of killed the drive, but it's back now and I've kinda got to get back into the market, if you know what I'm saying. Try and grab a tod sooner rather than later, don't you think!"

"Yeah," Brittany replied, smiling. "Tods are great." She paused, before hunkering down deviously. "But I'm keeping my one."

There was a burst of laughter from the other side. "Oh, I won't steal him…"

"Good," Brittany replied, smiling cheekily as she did so. "Don't want to have any kits of yours not have him as an uncle, do you?"

"Nah….. -wait! Uncle!?"

"Just joking" Brittany giggled. "We've been going super-fast, and it was kind of love at first sight with me, but we're a billion miles from there. Though… he might be the one, you never know!"

"I… -I was more talking about the uncle…"

"Well," Brittany replied warmly, "You're my sister…"

"Like a sister," she corrected.

Brittany shook her head. "Skye, when I was most mad at Bogo and my family, you were the only mammal in the world… the only one I could think of, who I could say I loved. When I thought about disowning them, I thought about taking your surname instead…"

There was a gasp from the other end, Skye having difficulty speaking from the revelation.

"-I mean, Brittany Autumn does have a ring to it," she said, chuckling, before shaking her head. "But… but, what's the age difference between us? Ten, or…"

"Fifteen," Skye replied, "or fourteen… depending on whose birthday was last."

"Kinsey is twelve, or thirteen," Brittany noted. "So it would work." She breathed in, and out again. "Skye. No if's, no buts, you are my sister. For now, forever…"

There was a sniff from the other end, causing Brittany to pause. "Is there a rainy Skye on the other side?"

There was a burst of laughter. "Yeah! Oh gosh, thanks Bree. I… I love you."

"I love you too, Sis," Brittany said, beginning to cry with joy too.

"… Can you say that again?"

"I love you too, Sis."

"… _sniff…_ One more time?"

"I love you Sis," Brittany replied, smiling. "I love you Sis… I love you Sis!"

"HeeeHee!" Skye chuckled. "Oh thank you Bree, I'm nice and sunny again. You cheered me right up!"

"Well," the red vixen said, "that's what sisters are for." She smiled as she said it, but paused afterwards. Her ears scanned around nervously and she looked out towards the sea, taking a deep breath in and out as she did so.

"I know," Skye replied, oblivious to Brittany's change in mood.

The red vixen stayed herself, before speaking. "Other things sisters are for… _especially_ older ones is… -is advice."

There was a pause on the other end before Skye spoke, her voice softer and comforting. "Given your voice, I'm guessing this is sensitive advice, right?"

"Right," Brittany noted, "and however much I've forgiven my parents, -which-is-one-hundred-percent, I don't think that this is the kind of thing I can talk about to them… -well, to my mother, really… even if I had grown up normally."

"I think I can tell where there is going," Skye began," but go on…"

Brittany relaxed, letting out a stressed-up exhale, before speaking. "I had my first kiss yesterday," she said happily, "and it was great."

"As it should be," Skye noted.

"It was steamy as well," Brittany carried on, wiggling a bit as she said it.

"Oooh nice."

The red fox's eyelids half-lidded, and she spoke matter-of-factly. "Literally steamy."

"Oooh," Skye replied, Brittany not sure on what her sister's true inclinations towards that statement really were. "I see… did it go down well with him?"

"I don't know," Brittany shrugged, "I think he liked it a bit."

"Alright," Skye continued, "so what's the issue?"

Brittany looked downwards and huffed, bringing up a paw and balling it into a fist. She stuck it in her mouth and lightly chewed it for a few seconds, trying to think of what to say, before managing something.

"My powers are linked with emotions, or rather externally projected emotions… So anger at others makes fire, -if I'm not working to stop the power going off that is, and anger at myself does not…right?"

"Right."

"And kissing someone is a very warm, externally projected emotion, right?"

"Right…"

"I wanted to project everything out back then," she explained, "and having to focus on keeping my heat in would really ruin the moment, if you know what I mean?"

"I guess," Skye replied sadly. "I mean, as much as you got screwed over in the power trigger department, I had the best one. I just think fly… -and just run harder now too! But knowing what a kiss is like, having to focus on something else outside of it… Yeah. But I mean, a steamy kiss sounds fun."

"I'm not worried about my powers going out there," Brittany replied, before gulping and tugging her shirt collar nervously. She shrunk up a bit from the embarrassment, and a dash of shame and worry too, before whispering back. "But what if…" she began, before sniffing. "What if I can't help but spout fire when I'm… -I mean we're…" She closed her eyes, breathed in, and spoke it out. "When we're doing the thingy!"

"…Oh gosh," Skye gasped. "Brittany, I…"

Brittany sniffed, pinching the bridge of her muzzle tightly and shaking her head. "I mean, damn it, I'm in love with him, and I'm feeling these things and I want this! I really want this!" She racked in three sobbing breaths, before barking out in response. "BUT WHAT IF IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

The air cooled around her from her despair, the screen of her phone quickly getting covered in a light coating of frost.

"What if I can never make love to a mammal without burning him!"

"Bree…"

"What if I can never enjoy it!" she sobbed, sniffing slightly. "What if I always have to hold back, to keep it in check, what if…"

"WOAH! My phone just froze over!"

Brittany paused, her ears turning forwards, and she curiously brought her phone right up to them.

"Wait, by froze over…"

"There's a load of ice all over the front of my phone," Skye explained. "-and some in my ear too… shaking it out now, it's like dandruff!"

Brittany burst into a giggle, wiped away her tears, and stood up, suddenly curious. "Two new powers discovered this holiday, wow!"

"Two!" Skye gasped. "Tell me about the first one…"

"Well you know I have this heat vision," Brittany began. "Turns out I have cold vision too. I just thought I'd give it a go one day, and it worked!"

"Interesting," Skye began. "Karen will be interested in discussing that with you, what with the work she's been doing to boost up the cold side of your powers. However… _hmmm_ I guess that if there's a leak of liquid natural gas at a refinery or something, it could be useful."

"Yeah," Brittany replied, nodding. "Add it to the call centre responses. Leaking cold stuff? Brittany Voxen is on the case!"

"Yeah!" Skye chirped. "Say, can you do both at the same time?"

Brittany paused, before closing her eyes and trying just that. Seeking out the hot and the cold. Her world burst into a gradient of hues, from the blue of the ocean to the red of the ship's exhaust smoke. She flew up and looked around, seeing the world in its new colours. She even spotted an object in the distance, long and thin and flying in the sky. Its top was a warm orange, its belly a cooler green, and three warm and orange objects were slung beneath it, while a fourth, a bucket like object, had just been lowered to gather cool blue water and was on its way back up. As she flew closer, she realised it was the sky cruiser again, in the middle of picking up extra ballast from the ocean. She noticed that she couldn't see what was inside, even through the areas she guessed were windows, though as she flew through them the massing orange figures of the rodent passengers came into view. Pulling out again, she focussed on the cold and, as the heat disappeared, she was able to see through the ship, spotting the internal ballast tanks, pools and even the fridges in the kitchens.

She opened her eyes and spoke into the phone. "It works, but it has its drawbacks."

"Do tell," Skye eagerly replied.

"With my heat and cold vision, I can see through things to find what I'm looking for," she explained. "So, through buildings to find people… with dual though, I only see the skin layer unless I go through it, even if it's glass."

"So, like a true thermal camera?"

"Yeah…" Brittany noted, before turning down to the phone. "Hmmm… -I'm on a roll, maybe…"

She focussed on her heat vision again, but this time through her phone, hoping to see Skye on the other side.

Instead she just passed through.

"Ah," she noted.

"Ah what?"

"It seems my main powers can go through phones, but not my vision powers," she observed.

"Actually…" Skye began, "-they can't either…"

…

"What?" Brittany asked, her head tilting to the side in confusion. "I thought…"

There was a faint chuckle from the other side. "I think it's called a distraction, Bree…"

Brittany's eyes narrowed and she replied back in jest. "You devious vixen, you…"

"Hey," came the reply from the other end. "That's what sisters are for, right?"

Brittany relaxed slightly. "Yeah… Clever Skye."

"Well," she noted, sighing a bit. "I sort of borrowed it from Bogo.

" _Hmmmm?_ "

"Yeah…" Skye replied. "You remember when he told you about your heat vision?"

Brittany paused, before nodding. "I remember. He took me into a room, offered me a place as an enforcer, before letting me stay on for a bit while I decided. It seemed more natural than going back to my family. He told me about the heat vision and asked if I could find my parents… -I'm pretty certain he did that so that I'd learn about Kinsey."

"Yeah," she replied. "He briefed Clawhauser and I that you might learn some very painful news on that day and… well, to be ready to comfort you if you needed it. Had he called us, we'd be in there in a flash."

Brittany nodded. "Thanks… that would have been the better way. Probably."

"Yes," Skye noted. "He said that he hoped that your new power might lift your mood up beforehand… and that he couldn't use the distraction of you being allowed to meet me for the first time again…"

"I…" Brittany began, before shaking her head. "Not sure if I remember what happened back then." She breathed in and sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, about my issue."

"Yeah," Skye replied, sounding less sure of herself. "Has the power gone off any time you've… you know. Self…"

"-EW," Brittany interrupted, cringing as she shrunk up a bit. "Bit… odd, to presume I…"

"I was a teenage vixen in heat once too," Skye snarked, Brittany's eyebrows furrowing as she stared daggers back into the phone.

"-I'm not in heat," she grumpily interrupted.

"I didn't mean to say you were now, just that you have been," Skye countered. "Even with heat-away, you need some special relief for that itch, don't you?"

Brittany, feeling a warm rush of embarrassment, which she quickly confirmed had nothing to do with her powers, nodded. "Kinda…"

"Did you have any issues?"

"No," she replied, "but… _that…_ was internally directed, so not the kind of thing to causes an issue. I mean, I've learnt that I can sort of internally direct my powers, which is very easy when I'm feeling comfort. If I can focus, I can warm my body up…"

"Oooh, that's new," Skye noted.

"Yeah!" Brittany chuckled. "Kinsey calls it the hot water sister."

"BAAAH!" Skye laughed. "HA Haaa! Aaaaah!" She breathed in before cooing. "Aaaah, that's cute."

Brittany smiled. "I know it is."

"Well," Skye replied. "Maybe if you talk to him and ask him to go gentle, you can play it safe."

"Right," she noted.

"And, if your powers start coming out dangerously… -as they might come out but it's all fine, you could try and direct them internally, huh?"

"Right…"

"Focus on yourself, and your feelings, and your passion in the moment."

"Uh-hu."

"Or," she noted, "move towards the marathon side rather than a sprint. -Before mandatory cuddle time that is, given that it's slow and steady after that."

"Right," Brittany noted, smiling widely at that mention. "And, maybe, in all of this, I'll just be doing the hot water sister, which he likes."

"Yeah," Skye noted. "Just play it safe, make sure he's taking precautions…"

"I know," Brittany noted, her eyebrows furrowing at that.

"-And if anything goes wrong, I'll be here for you. Always."

"Thanks," Brittany replied, smiling and feeling so much better for herself. "Hope everything goes well with you."

"And you!" Skye chirped. "Enjoy the rest of your trip, and go get ' _im!_ "

"Oh, I will," Brittany chirped back confidently. "Bye Skye!"

"Bye!"

She hung up and, standing up, felt better for herself. More confident. Yes, there was some worry, but she wasn't going to let her hold that back. If there was a problem, there was no point in messing around or putting it off when you could just solve it.

She was going to do this.

.

The rest of the morning went normally. The rest of the family woke up, and together they went for a simple breakfast. Given that it was still a family holiday, Brittany made sure to spend some time with Kinsey, playing on some of the attractions. The little vixen was happy, though she still had her reservations against Sam. She also maintained that she didn't need Brittany's powers and wasn't interested in having them shown off.

Brittany remembered that she and Sam would be 'getting' her, sooner rather than later.

Nearer the time that she planned to meet up with Sam, she slipped off on her own. While it was amazing to finally be back with her family, a little own-time was something that she very much cherished. Walking around in the crowds, peaking into the shops…

A pharmacy visit, some awkward questions, and soon she was out with a few supplies that would become necessary later. She then left for Sam's cabin, only to pause at a cheap jewellery shop.

Few of the items really interested her in any way.

Though….

Two items in particular got her interested.

She popped in, and then resumed her travels.

.

.

.

 _KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK…_

.

The door opened and Sam, a big smile on his face, appeared.

"You alone?" she asked.

He smiled and waved her in. "Yes, though why do you ask?"

Her paw went down underneath the hem of her dress and fingered the item held against her by her leggings. "I was thinking, that if you are ready for it…" She pulled it up, slipping it through her fingers, before holding it out, giving a playful wink as she did so.

Sam looked curiously at the silver little square she held up, looked up at her, then down again. A thin smile grew on his muzzle, quickly becoming a wide grin. "You crazy vixen you," he said seductively, walking forwards and slipping a paw around her shoulders. She twitched and shivered slightly, her tail swishing about, before she moved in and closed the door behind her. As she turned forwards, he came towards her with his mouth and planted a kiss on her lips, one that she returned. They quickly began sucking and nipping, their tongues intertwining with each other's. Both moaned as they embraced and walked into the centre of the room, the air around them beginning to warm. Neither noticed though, instead completely focussed on the other. Moans and groans and squishes and purrs rang out as their lips mated. Finally, their passion only heightened, they collapsed into a soft chair and broke off, Sam panting.

"Wow…" he noted, smiling. "You're radiant."

"I'm radiating," she said, laughing. The thrill of the moment gone, she realised that she was very much doing the hot water sister, or rather the hot water sauna…

"Sam?" she asked, nervously.

"Yes?"

She moved her paws up and held his, rubbing them slightly. "I don't know how my powers will react… when we're…"

"Oh," he said, pausing a bit.

"If you… If it's uncomfortable, just say stop," she stated nervously, looking away as she did so.

He nodded and brought his arm around to hug her tighter. "I will," he said, before pausing. "You too… it's my first time and I'm kinda nervous."

She paused, curious as to why he would be, before shaking it off. "I'll be fine," she replied, reaching up to stroke the underside of his muzzle. He lifted it up as she reached his chin and stayed there, scratching and scratching.

"I'm liking this."

"Kind of the idea," she teased, wiggling a bit in the seat. She bumped against him and came in closer and he returned the action just after, bringing the pair more and more against each other.

"How do you want to do this?" he asked.

A devious smirk grew across Brittany's muzzle, as a rush of excitement came across her. She looked into him, her big tough tod, and couldn't think of anything else. The fantasies from before were replaying too, and her body hungering in desire.

She leant forwards and kissed him again, and they felt a rush as his tongue and mouth parlayed back. "I want you to be my mean boy Sam," she moaned. There was a lull of activity from him, but she doubled down and it returned. "Play with me… Toy with me…."

The kiss broke and she paused as he slipped out of her and walked off towards his balcony. He was silent and still and she ogled him as he stood there, before witnessing him breath in and out, suddenly seeming firmer and stronger.

She ogled him more as he slipped off his shirt and trousers, her heart hammering in her chest as his fur ruffled in the incoming breeze, his figure silhouetted against the sun.

Her eyes were glued to him, and he was everything, and she felt her paw move down for some reason but didn't stop it…

He breathed in and out and turned back, a little smile on his muzzle. "Want any more off."

She began stepping forwards, before glancing down at her bag. "More off and on…" she teased, tingling with excitement as she did so. "I have a present for you, my big meanie."

"Oh?" he asked.

She smiled. "I happened upon a certain shop…" she said, looking down. "If you want, we could try out some costumes I found?" She fussed the floor with her feet, before looking up and shrugging. "Just a _really_ dumb thing I saw, but I like the idea and, well, you might too."

The big tod blinked a few times, his eyes widening as he looked down at the bag before looking up again. He shrugged, an excited smile growing across him, his teeth showing. "Hit me, Brittany. Show me what you got."

"You wanna see what I got?"

His eyes narrowed deviously. "I wanna see what you got."

He was silent, watching as she went into the bag and pulled out some items. He blinked as she lay them out. Two collars, one pink with flowers and a bell; and one black with silver spikes.

"Oh… I've, um, seen plenty of plainer collars before, but never really been interested in jewellery of any kind," he noted, as she held them up. "But I guess..." he continued, before shrugging.

She meanwhile remembered the wolf couple the day before, and how they'd used their collars. How she'd seen the girl pulled her back with hers… How excited that had made her. Playfully, she lay down on the floor, belly up and twisting. It didn't feel stupid, it felt fun…

More than fun.

"Come and tame me, Sam," she said enticingly, before beginning give some mock whimpers as he just stood there.

"…Why?" he asked, nonplussed as she lay there. She blinked and stood up.

"I want to be yours," she replied, quivering as she said it. It was irrational, crazy, yet right. It excited her in ways she'd never experienced and drew her in in ways she'd never imagined or considered. "I want to be your pet, and I want you to be my master…" Her body coursed with passion as she said it, only making her want it more. It was a crazy desire, yet it flowed through her blood and ruled her, owned her, burning deep and rich within her. It guided her on, in an invisible path which it had laid out for her, ready for her to travel.

"I…" Sam began, before she reached forwards.

She pulled out her own collar and slipped it into his paws, before pulling up close to him so he towered over her. "Don't you think I'd look pretty in it?"

His body moved down a bit, his muscles seeming to go softer, and she felt a paw stroke the back of her hair. "I think you'd look pretty in a lot of things," he said gently, smiling as he did so. He leant in, giving a gentle peck on her nose. "Who knows? It might suit you."

"I think it will," she teased, "just like this will suit you." She brought out the other collar, black and silver, and looked up at him. Her paws, moving up, began playing with the accessory, slipping it around him as he stepped back. It went on, tight, and Sam was left feeling it, his paws lightly gripping the top and bottom and tugging. "You're a tough and dangerous dude who needed to be contained," she said seductively, as she began to feel around it. "But you've escaped… and little old me now belongs to big nasty you…"

She watched as his eyes narrowed, sending a rush through her as she saw him turn devious and angry. ' _Yes'_ , she thought, watching his aggressive gaze. This was what she wanted. This was what stirred her and made her excited, seeing her big tod like that. She reached around to the strap to pull it tighter when his head buckled, and she felt giddy. She felt crazy. She felt her crush turn up to eleven as her rough boy started to squirm.

"Come on big meany," she panted, biting her lip. "Come on. Fight it! Fight it like the bad boy you are. _I'm_ the one who _really_ belongs in the collar, _aren't I?_ "

She almost squealed when his teeth bared and she heard him growl, the sound sending a shiver down her spine and electrifying it, right to the tip of her tail. Her heart was hammering against her chest and her bad boy was fighting properly now…

"That's it… That's it, that's it, that's it!" she gasped, panting. "Come on my big meany!"

She suddenly felt his paws grab her and push her back, sending her stumbling backwards and dumping her in the chair. Landing back into it, the rush peaked and her fantasies crystallised and time lost all meaning or purpose, all there was in existence was now and her and him.

"That's it!" she panted. "That's what I deserve. That's what you do!" She didn't even think as she began pulling off her clothes and opening up, ready for it to happen. Not a thought of her fears of her powers came into her, just what her body demanded. "COME ON BIG MEANY! DO IT!"

.

.

.

…

She opened her eyes, the heat beginning to ebb away.

She realised that she'd stripped down to the bare essentials, though she didn't really care that they were still on.

She felt warm too, like when she did the hot water sister but far more.

That was dying down though, bumping up and down with her heartbeat, but the ups were never as high as the downs were low.

She looked around, wondering what was happening, and looked on at Sam.

He stood there, a lost look on his face. He was looking down at the collar, which he'd taken off and thrown onto the floor, and a tear was flowing from his eye as he shied away from her gaze.

She felt her heat go down as she saw that, not her mean boy, before shaking her head and standing up. "Sam…?" she asked, suddenly concerned.

"I…" he began, rubbing his head with a paw. "I'm not sure if…"

"If…?" she said, before blinking. Her paw, having touched the seat, felt how warm it was, and a sudden sense of cold ran through her. "Sam!" he gasped, turning away as a wave of shame and guilt and anger smashed through her. "Oh god… my powers, I… -I'm so sorry…"

"-It's not your powers."

"…Please give me another chance, I'll try to keep it in, I'll try…"

"I SAID IT'S NOT YOU POWERS!"

She flinched, turning to look at him. He was staring at the ground, angry and bitter. The bitterness more than poisoned the anger in her eyes, the rush she thought she'd usually feel not coming. He didn't look mean. He looked like he hated himself, and a quiver of worry flowed through her.

"Sam?" she asked.

"I… I…" he began, breathing in and out before turning to his clothes.

"Was I too fast?" Brittany asked, realising just how much she'd been rushing into this head first. "If I am… If I am, we can go as slow as we want, and rebuild, and you can set the pace as slow as you…"

"I don't even…" Sam interrupted, before turning away as he grabbed his shorts and pulled them on. "I'm not sure we can build something good at all, I…"

"Why?" Brittany asked. She suddenly felt very cold, a shivering heart wrenching horror, not unlike the time she first saw her sister, shooting through her and freezing the warmth and joy out of her. She blinked, instinct kicking in, and a quick check showed that frost had started to grow on her. She pulled her power in before going on, still deathly afraid that this amazing thing she found could end. "Why…?"

He looked at her, regretfully and pained and confused, before he grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. "Can you… can you leave for a bit?"

Her eyes widened, and her paw went up to her gasping mouth, though he interrupted before she could say anything.

"We can… we can meet up in an hour and talk things over…" he blurted out.

She felt a bit of relief, and slowly turned to her clothes, robotically pulling them on and still lost as to what happened. Why something so good broke. What the problem was…

Decent again, she stood up and slowly made her way towards the door, her mind awash with confusion.

There was a touch on her shoulder, and she turned to see Sam. He opened his arms and pulled a light hug around her, which she returned.

They let go, and he nodded. "I just need some time to think and… -I hope we can sort this out."

"Sort what out," she asked, her voice a hoarse whisper.

He looked away sadly. "You have one hour. Maybe try and work it out. See you soon Brittany."

"See you soon, Sam," she replied.

She exited out of the corridor and made her way down it like a lost girl. Confused. Alone. With no idea why things were like they were. Just wanting to be safe and secure and loved again.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

.

Brittany looked over the railing and into the sea below.

The rolling waves of the ocean flowed up and down, cut through by the white bow wave of the ship as it slowly carried them back home.

The air was warm.

But she felt cold…

.

Her mind flashed back to the incident, less than an hour before.

Replaying what had gone through her mind. What she'd seen and done and heard.

…

She'd been excited.

.

He'd seemed excited.

.

Things seemed to have lined up, the stars aligning, and their sudden and intense love would have burnt all the brighter.

…

Yet he snuffed it out and pushed her back, and she was left wondering why.

.

She felt she knew though, and it sickened her. She'd rushed in too fast and pushed her fantasies onto him. She didn't think he said no at any point, but as far as she remembered he hadn't said yes either.

Maybe he was claustrophobic, or just spooked, or didn't want this kind of thing.

Whatever it was, Brittany thought glumly, she had forced it onto him and he hadn't liked it. Whatever he'd said, whatever happened after, it didn't matter.

She'd been the bad guy there.

She'd screwed up.

She probably ruined something for him, and for her, and she felt rotten. She felt like a filthy little mutt again, dead guilty of her crimes.

Even worse though was that it had felt so natural and easy, so right, in the heat of the moment.

…

She looked at her paws again and remembered the burning heat that had come out of them just months before. How that had felt so right and easy in the moment too…

The lonely vixen just leant against the railing, closing her eyes tighter and gritting her teeth, her body frosting over in guilt and shame and self-doubt. She garnered a number of stares, but she didn't pay them any mind. It was only the chirping of her phone that woke her from her stupor.

She glanced at the text message and sullenly made her way over to him.

.

.

"Hi Brittany."

"Hi Sam," she replied sadly, setting herself down. He'd chosen a bare looking bench on a little used bit of outside deck, and they sat apart, no sure what to say.

"…I'm sorry."

He blinked a few times before raising his head and looking over. "For what?"

She glanced at him before turning away, her ears drooping down. "For scaring you…" she whispered hoarsely. "For forcing myself onto you… -and if you don't want to see me again because of that, I…"

"Thanks for the apology," he interrupted, matter-of-factly. "But that's not really the issue."

She gasped, her ears rising to attention as she turned to look at him. "You mean, I didn't… you were…"

"I didn't like the collars," he noted sternly, "but I tried it at first for you. I… I could of said no at the beginning… or asked you to stop rather than pushing you away later. I thought I could make it work though… for you."

Brittany paused, looking at him before slipping closer. "I… You won't have to do any of that stuff again for me," she reassured him, reaching an arm out. "Heck, you can be in charge of that stuff."

"…Thanks," he replied, chuckling. "Though I'm not more experienced than you."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "You're not a total screw up at it, unlike me."

He turned to look at her and reached up with a paw, gently taking hold of her outstretched one. "I said stop and you did… you could have screwed up a ton more you know. Live and let live…"

Her entire face relaxed, and Sam noticed a slight wave of warmth as she did so. She felt her tensions and worries go away, and wiped a tear from her eyes as the stress began to leave her. "Sam…" she said, sniffing. "You're… amazing."

He nodded and pulled her in closer, petting her head slightly. "I like to think that." He smiled, but the smile faded as he stood up on the seat, his face becoming serious. "However…"

"However?" Brittany interrupted, her ears darting up in worry.

"However," Sam repeated, before breathing in and out to steady himself. "There is still the real issue… -The real reason… why I asked you to go, is because I need to know…" He turned away and scratched the back of his head, before turning to face her, his eyes sad yet hopeful. "I need to know _why_ you love me."

"… _Why_ I love you?"

"YES," he said, turning forwards and chopping down with his palms. "Why…. Why exactly, do you love me?"

…

"You're hot," she began, noticing that his face didn't change. She paused, thinking what to say next, before remembering what he'd just done. "And you've got a soft and sweet gooey centre…"

His face lit up slightly, the sight sending a wave of relief through Brittany.

"You're funny too…"

His smile widened a bit, and he turned to face her.

"All wrapped up in a crunchy hard shell!"

The warmth in his face vanished, and he turned away again. "What do you mean, hard shell?"

"I…"

"I mean, it should be obvious," he grunted. "You've said it enough times, especially…. _Then…_ What did you call me?"

Brittany paused, before speaking. "My big meany?"

He sighed, before pulling his paw to the side and waving her on.

"My mean boy… My…"

"Stop!"

She did so, and sat there silently as he took a deep breath in and released it. His paws came up and covered his eyes before sliding down again. "…Why… -why do you call me that?" he asked. "-I mean, I can guess, but I want to hear the truth from you."

Brittany paused, looking at him, before answering honestly. "I… You look rough…" she began, "and I like that."

…

There was a pause, and he gave a short and sharp huff, almost like a laugh, but sounding like he was scoffing at the idea. "Great…" he muttered, "I finally find someone who can love me even if I look like a thug, and it turns out she loves me because of that!"

"I…"

She was cut off as Sam stood up and began ranting into the air. "Not only that, she wants me to be a thug. She wants me to be mean and nasty, because she likes it, and doesn't care how I…"

"-Hey!" Brittany snapped, as she stood up and walked over to him. She reached out with her paw and gently stroked the side of his muzzle, noticing that his eyes were red and sad, and there was what looked like a tear coming down from an eye. "I… I was playing. Joking…"

"It hit too close to home," he grumbled, pulling up a paw and pulling hers down.

She looked at it, drawing it back, before looking over to him as he leant against the railing. He stared out into the ocean, and she stood by him and did the same.

"As I… as I said," she began, her voice quivering with worry and confusion. "You can lead that side of things, and now that I know you don't like…"

"I don't doubt that," he said, hollowly. "But… but be honest here, you like me… You have this crush on me… because I look like a piece of scat, isn't that right?"

"…I… I wouldn't say piece of scat," Brittany began, finding her voice. "And I love the sweet you inside… And I love your body, so I love all of you… Isn't that what you want?"

…

"No."

Her brow furrowed, and she turned to face him. "Well what do you want?" she almost sassed.

"I… -I don't know!" he exclaimed, before pushing off the railing and walking off along the deck. Brittany watched him as he paused, shaking his head in thought and turning back. "I don't know… -I wanted someone who didn't care about my body… -my looks. But someone loving me for them… -that's… -that's even worse!"

"How?" Brittany asked. "How is it? It's not like you can run away from them! They're part of you…"

"DON'T SAY THAT," he screamed.

She flinched back a bit, before marching forwards towards him. "You can't run away from them," she said sternly, a rise of anger beginning to warm up inside of her. A tick of instinct and she made sure her powers were under control, before continuing. "You'll carry them wherever you go…"

She reached him, nose almost against nose, and she saw him grit his teeth and growl. "Stop…" he seethed, before breathing in, his voice coming out again defeated. "Stop rubbing it in…"

She stood there, looking at him. Angry at him and pitying him and unable to work out what was wrong with him, before she turned down to her paws.

"You think it's a burden, huh?" she asked. "So are my powers… They've caused me so much pain, and I've cursed them… They're my burden." She turned back and placed both her paws on his shoulders, and she spoke to him, trying to get through. "And without them, I wouldn't have met my best friends, and many of them would be dead now, and a true monster would still be alive, out there crippling mammals wherever he goes… They're a burden. They're my burden. And they are mine, and a part of me, and there's no getting away from it so you have to embrace them! Never wish them gone, use them! They are me and I am them, just like your looks. DON'T do this to yourself!"

He looked at her, his eyes watering, before he slipped out of her gripped and dragged himself back to the bench. She followed, and together they sat.

…

"Have you ever looked in the mirror, and hated what you see in there?"

…

"No," Brittany replied.

…

"I hate… I hate being seen as this mean guy," he began, his paws waving about as he talked. "I…"

He broke down and sniffed, and Brittany nudged up close to him and wrapped a paw around him as he whimpered slightly. She pulled back as a paw came up, balled into a fist, and whacked into his leg.

She waited…

"You… You remember that I said I used to come from this little town called New-Reynard?"

She paused, thinking, before replying. "Yeah…"

"Little fox town, -mostly," he began, waving his paw about. "We get plenty of other species too, but they tend to be passing through. And many of those passing through, they… -they stopped at my mother's diner."

She watched as his face lit up slightly, and he pulled in a sniff. "For as long as I could remember, I would sit in the booths as my mother worked, and I'd talk to all the mammals who would come in. I'd be there with a strawberry milkshake, and talk about what was in the town, and listen to stories about where they'd come from. And… and they'd always say thank you, and pat me on the head, and tell my how sweet I was. How I was this 'adorable little ragamuffin' or something!"

Brittany listened to him intently, her ears flinching back as she heard his voice crack.

"I was the unofficial town greeter…"

He turned away and sniffed some more, a paw coming up to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"When I was eleven, I left to live with relatives. I'd gotten into this special school, and I met so many new friends there, but I felt myself get more distant from my parents…"

She felt a wave of empathy and kinship, and pulled her arm around him to comfort him, knowing what that was like.

"And after five years I returned," he replied, sounding despondent. "Five years… -and though I felt a bit distant to Mama, I was going to get her back. And the thing… -and the thing I most looked forward to…"

He broke off, his head going down into his paws as he whimpered. Standing there, by him, Brittany comforted him all the way.

.

.

…

"I looked forwards to sitting back in my booth, with my strawberry milkshake, and greeting diners again." He finished it with a laugh, before shaking his head. "I waited for two hours in a jam packed diner, always patting the table in front of me but always watching mammals walk by me. I then tried sitting down next to someone, saying hi. They shied away, before scooting out without saying a word. The… the next lot, a family, asked me sternly to leave and not cause any trouble. I… -I didn't know what he meant by that!? And the next, they ran as well. And again with another pair. Another group asking me to leave and… -and I asked why, and they said they didn't want any trouble. And it wasn't like it was all small prey, there were a few families of wolves or other foxes saying this as well and I didn't know why!? Why… What had changed?"

…

"It finally ended when I introduced myself to a bunny family…" He sniffled a bit and gulped, but carried on. "I could tell they were like the others, but I was desperate! And… -well I…" He huffed, before looking up, his face wincing with anger. "I quickly had this air horn thing blasted on me. Damn, if it made my ears hurt… Plenty of other mammals too, especially other foxes, this was a fox town remember, and my Mama comes smashing out the kitchen and yelling, 'what in darnation was that for!?'"

He shrugged, his voice losing all emotions. It was just empty, and without hope.

"He said that he was protecting his family from 'that delinquent who's been terrifying everyone', and that if she could kindly throw me out, that would be good." He smiled a bit. "Credit to her, she yelled at them and demanded I apologised to her Sam… the sweetest boy in town and the unofficial greeter…"

…

"He laughed… he laughed… -and I just ran."

...

"Sam," Brittany began, feeling a tear begin to trail down her muzzle. "I'm so…"

He cut her off with an outstretched paw, before continuing. "My Mama found me, and she tried to put it in the sweetest words… it still stung. And seeing myself in the mirror, and realising that I'd grown from a cute little whippersnapper into a great big brute… I…"

He choked back a sob, and Brittany held his paw, not sure what to say. She carried on like that until he calmed down, wiping the tears off his face. It just didn't feel right to interrupt him. Instead, it was just better to be there.

…

"You know," he began, his voice much lighter. Almost having joy in it, but she could tell that that joy was tainted, poisoned with something darker that lay underneath. "I'd come to the conclusion that no-one would fall in love with a brute like me. I'd… -I'd grown used to that." He turned to her, and the faintest smile appeared. "And when you came up, I was so amazed. I loved you, because you loved me, and you might have been the only person in the world to be able to…"

"Don't say that," she interrupted, unable to bare his self-hatred any more.

"It felt like it…"

"I… -I know."

He flashed a tiny smile, before it faded. "I won't lie, I was nervous. And you seemed a bit crazy, though I quickly decided it was a very nice good kind of crazy. But I buckled on for that ride with the crazy vixen who was acting like she was in heat…"

"-I'm not in Heat!" she barked out, causing him to pause.

"I… I wasn't saying you were…"

She rolled her eyes. "Sorry, but right then you sounded like yet another mammal telling me that I couldn't control myself… That I needed to be kept in the dark or denied things because of it, even though they know jack squat! You… -you just hit a real nerve there. Sorry."

"…Right," he began, taking a quick breath before continuing. "But… I then decided that I did love you, and we could enjoy this rollercoaster together. But when I began to feel that you loved me because of what I looked like… What I hated… It hurt, but I thought I could manage it, but I can't… -I can't."

…

"I…" Brittany began, still not sure what to say. Not knowing where this was going, or whether this was a pep talk or a break-up or an epiphany or something else. She felt oddly calm. "I may have loved you for that first… -I won't lie to you… But you're sweet and kind as well, and that's nice."

"But do you love me for those?"

Brittany paused, thinking, looking back at their brief relationship. She looked down at him now, broken and upset, and sifted through what she felt.

"I care for you… Deeply. And I think that if that's not love… what is?"

…

"There's different kinds of love."

She sighed, pulling back and looking away. Away from him, out to sea again. She thought, and her eyes narrowed. "What I said… about burdens and stuff, it's the truth Sam. You've got to stop hating yourself… and you don't have to like your looks, but you shouldn't hate them. You really shouldn't break up with me just because I love all of you, your looks especially… You're not going to get what you want, Sam. I'm sorry. Do yourself a favour and accept your burden. Stop hating your looks, as that's you…"

"It's not me," he cursed.

She turned back to him. "It is you, Sam. It's part of who you are!"

"It's a fake!" he shouted. "The… the real me is trapped in this damn skin. This scary skin, this nasty skin… This body that makes me look like a thug, a monster. A… a big meany. It's not me, but I have to live with it."

…

"So learn to accept it," Brittany began. "Co-exist…"

"-You just don't get it!" he snapped, turning to her and backing off.

Her teeth gritted and her anger flared, and she pulled back her powers without thinking and stepped up. "I do! My powers…"

"-They at least do something useful," he countered. "You can be proud of them… What have these looks ever done to me?"

…

"They led me to you…"

.

He stood there, still, looking at her. His red stained eyes trembled up and down and Brittany felt so sorry for him. The sleek and dangerous body she'd fallen in love with was still there, but he looked so worn and tired, it only made him look more broken. No, more pathetic. But it was still enough… Even now, she could think of no sexier todd. She still wanted him. But she wanted his sweet manners and his kindness too, and she was happy to give up any idea of him being a real mean boy for it. She just wanted him, and she wanted him to be happy…

.

.

"Would you love me without these looks?"

"I love you exactly as you are…"

"That's not answering my question," he scolded.

"I…" she began, before turning away in shame. "I don't know… But isn't it a real moot point? It's not like you're going to get plastic surgery, or a makeover?"

…

"I… " his eyes widened, and Brittany felt her heart flutter as she saw hope return to him. "I never thought of that!"

' _SLAP'…_

Her paw slowly dragged down her face, and she shook her head. "Plastic surgery? Sam, are you…"

"No," he began. "A makeover… Clean up my fur or dye it, some hair stuff… Maybe some dorky glasses. Make me look less threatening. Make me…"

"Look stupid," Brittany interrupted, her paw coming up to her face as she shook her face. "But… -I'm not going to hold you back, okay? Just… just be sensible, and if doesn't work, please… try and find peace with yourself…"

She felt his paws slip into hers, and then one of them slip behind her back. His muzzle went over his shoulder, and she heard him sniff. "Thanks… Can you be there with me?"

"Sure…"

"Thanks again, Hot Stuff."

She chuckled, and slipped out from him. Together, paw in paw, they headed off.

.

.

It had been two hours.

.

He'd scanned around some shops, including the one where she'd gotten that damned set of collars, before settling into a makeover station. He'd looked out of place in there, surrounded by girls getting their fur, hair, tails, claws, hooves and other bits done up. She even noticed that he looked nervous.

Still, he was resolute.

He'd asked if she could wait outside for him to be done. She had been playing some mobile games, until a familiar whiff, albeit one tainted with the smell of fur dye, caught her nose.

She looked up and gasped.

Gone was her sleek red fox, with crimson red and pure white fur. Instead, she saw a todd standing before her that had orange and cream fur. Whose eyes were framed by big square glasses. Who wore a button up T-shirt with a simple grid pattern on it. His head fur, which had been sleek and without extra hair before, instead had a mop of forward facing spikes that overhung his glasses.

He'd gone from a jock to a nerd, and he was smiling.

He was smiling massively.

"Look at me," he chuckled, before turning around on the spot. Brittany's eyes scanned up and down him, before she turned to his head again, her teeth biting the top of her lip on one side. "I… I…" Sam carried on, before chuckling. His arms went up in celebration. "Isn't it amazing! I don't look like a beast anymore!"

…

"Brittany?"

She shook her head, before standing up. She wasn't sure if what she was going to say was the right thing, but she felt she needed to say it. "You certainly look different," she noted, "and I'm happy that you're happy. But…"

"-But?"

"But it still gives me all the wrong vibes," she noted sadly. It did. It felt wrong, the entire concept. It made her uncomfortable, and she thought it was stupid. She was happy that he was happy, but this felt like the worst way to be that, and she couldn't help but think it could all come crashing down. "This… -it's like you're lying to yourself Sam," she explained. "This isn't you!"

"This is me!" he exclaimed, before looking down at her, an annoyed look on his face. Brittany turned away, scratching her head as she thought.

"It… it might take some time to get used to it."

Sam's eyes softened slightly, and he tapped her on the shoulder. "Want to just walk around and do stuff?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Sure… why not?"

.

That they did, for a few hours.

The initial shock wore off, and it no longer felt odd or uncanny. To her, this was just a different version of Sam, and they went around having fun and being friends. She enjoyed her time with him, even if there was a niggle in the back of her mind that was slowly burning away. On their travels, they met with Sam's friends again, who were generally supportive of the new look once the initial shock wore off.

They even bumped into Brittany's family.

Kinsey had smiled and waved at him, saying hi. He'd moved to wave back, before she cut him off.

"Just to warn you," she whispered at normal speaking volume, "there's this nasty looking fox she's just dumped. He might be really angry!"

"Kinsey!" her mother had yelled, running forwards. The little vixen was confused, saying that she was helping him. Brittany looked on in anger as she tried to justify herself, her mother explaining that in normal circumstances this was unacceptable.

"And it's not normal circumstances, is it?" Nigel asked, looking at Sam.

"No," he dryly noted, "it isn't."

Kinsey looked at him, her head tilting in confusion. "Why do you sound familiar?"

"Because," Brittany seethed, "he _is_ Sam!"

Her eyes went wide and she stepped back, and Brittany suddenly felt her heart break for two mammals as she watched her gulped nervously, already beginning to sniffle as if to cry. "S-S-Sorry…"

"Accepted," Sam replied, looking at her and up at her parents. "It might be best if I'm away for a bit."

"Okay…" Delilah said, nodding.

He and Brittany went off, the vixen looking over her shoulder and seeing her sister recover from her little scare. She turned back to Sam and held his paw.

"We are so goddamn getting her," he noted.

Brittany blinked, before nodding in agreement. "Totally."

.

They ended up back in his cabin and were sitting down on a sofa, paws in their laps.

It was quiet.

Awkward.

Brittany looked at this new todd and then away. She closed her eyes and thought about him, and how she'd liked him, and what she felt about him now…

...

How she hated herself for that answer.

"Sam…"

"Yes," he replied innocently, which seemed to make it so much worse. She turned, and looked into those eyes in a stranger's face, and took a deep breath in.

"I… I think you're a great guy, and a sweet guy…."

"Oh," he replied, a definite hint of snark in there as he turned away.

"Sam! I…" she urged, reaching forwards before pausing. She retreated, and sat on her seat and looked away, sniffing as she did it. She made sure that her powers were behaving themselves before continuing on. "I felt these amazing things when I first saw you… things I've never felt before, and… -and I wish! I wish so hard! I really do, please believe me Sam, I do! I wish I still felt at least some of them for you now, but… -but I…"

"You loved me for how I looked," he dryly noted.

"I loved you, -and yeah, that may have been the main ingredient!" she said out loud, trying to justify herself. "But it was more than that, please believe me!"

…

She felt a faint touch of a paw on her shoulder, and she turned to look at him. He still looked away though.

"I'm sorry Sam."

"Do you feel anything for me?" he asked. "Anything at all."

Her lips quivered, and she checked her powers again as she felt them rising up, before gulping and speaking. "As a friend, everything… As… as a lover…."

...

"No…"

…

.

.

.

She felt a paw slip out of hers, and she turned to look away, despising herself for being such an idiotic shallow mammal. For being someone who couldn't love him for who he was. Who…

.

Her train of thought was cut off as she felt an arm around her. She turned, and silently slipped forwards, and she found herself hugging Sam as he hugged her back.

"It's okay…"

"It is?"

"Yeah, it is…"

She sniffed in, and realised she'd been crying. She didn't know when it had started or for how long, but she realised it was a lot.

A whole lot.

"Can we… can we still be friends?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied. "Maybe one of us will change our minds."

"I… I hope I do," she replied, and she hugged him tighter as he did the same.

"I hope so too," he said, patting her back. "I… -thanks so much for those three days. And thanks for this too. I'll always remember the good."

…

.

There were more sniffles, and more tear wiping, until they disengaged, looking at each other.

"More friends are nice," she noted.

"Yeah," he replied with a shrug.

She chuckled, before shaking her head. "You could text me if you're planning to go out, or on holidays…"

"If we go skiing, we need you and your hot water power!"

Brittany snorted out a laugh, before giggling. "Instant hot tub!" she announced. "Also, if there's no snow, I can make some!"

"Yeah," he replied, nodding his head happily.

Brittany's eyes opened wide. "If I can actually make a snow storm, I could rent myself out to resorts and make a fortune!"

Sam laughed too. "Oh, it's onto money making now!"

She looked at him deviously. "And what would you want to talk about then?"

He paused, before a devious look came across his face. "How about getting your sister?"

Brittany mirrored the look, and sniggered. "Yeah. Let's talk about that."

.

.

Later that night, back in the cabin, Brittany explained everything to her parents. It was sad, but they were supportive. They offered cuddles and assurances that she wasn't a bad person, and that nothing bad had come about from this. She'd had something special, even if it was brief.

Kinsey had waited out in the lounge, and, as they emerged from the privacy of the bedroom, she looked up at them. Brittany snuggled up next to her, looked into her eyes, and spoke.

"You doing okay?"

"Uh-hu."

"What did you think of Sam's new look?"

Kinsey looked at her and smiled. "He looks much nicer. Not like a big meany anymore!"

Her eyes narrowed. "So, you okay with him?"

"I don't know…"

"Very well," Brittany noted, before shrugging. "Want me to do the hot water sister?"

There was a pause as the little vixen turned to face her, thinking. Pondering… She shook her head. "I don't need your powers, and I'm not gonna ask for them too!"

Brittany slipped her paw down to her phone, a devious grin growing across her muzzle as she sent a text. She briefly wondered about Kinsey's response if she knew that she and Sam weren't together anymore.

She shook her head.

That wasn't the point.

.

.

"What you doing?"

Brittany looked at her sister and shrugged. She was holding a glass full of water, which had just turned to ice.

"Practicing," she explained, as it turned back to water and then to ice again.

"Not interested," Kinsey defiantly said, looking way sharply.

"You know… the port authority have been interested in using me with their icebreakers. Melting any sea ice and…"

"Not interested! I don't need your powers!"

.

.

.

…

 _KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK_

"Someone's at the door!" Kinsey chirped, though she paused as her father went up and opened it slightly. He knew about this bit, but nothing further on.

"Can I come in?" asked a voice, and the door opened to reveal a badger in a sailor's suit. He jogged past in a panic, Brittany easily noticing that it was a kind that none of the real staff wore. Still, to someone like Kinsey, who was looking on intently, that didn't matter.

He opened the balcony door and looked out. To the sides. Up. Down…

"Sweet Jesus capybara," he muttered.

"Anything… the problem?" Nigel asked nervously.

"Someone's been sabotaging the lifeboats," he noted, shuffling in his spot and rubbing his arms as he did it. "All of them have holes, which isn't good in this weather."

"What do you mean?"

"Downstream from tundratown," he noted. "Freezing cold air, and freezing water too. Unless you're an otter or something like that, or empowered, you won't last long."

Brittany looked on as he stayed outside, glancing down at Kinsey as she did so. The little vixen looked surprisingly worried, and grabbed her sister's arm for comfort.

"Bugger me!"

She looked up again at the badger, whose eyes were fixed forwards and suddenly very wide. He was trembling and turned, running back in and making for the little phone the cabin came with.

"Everything okay?" Nigel asked.

He ignored him, grabbing the receiver and pulling it up, all while jamming the keypad.

"Come on…" he urged, terror in his voice, before he snapped "-pick up you bastards!"

Her father moved to scold him but was cut off.

"Hello, is there anybody there!"

There was a moment's pause, a muffled sound coming from the other end.

" _Yes. What is it?"_

He breathed in, his body pulling up, before he shouted out his desperate warning into the phone.

"ICEBERG! DEAD AHEAD!"

He slammed the phone down and turned to them all, shaking with horror as he did the mark of the cross before gulping. "I'm sorry," he whispered, before racing out.

Brittany watched him go, flicking back round to check on Kinsey, only to see the little one's face leap up into hers.

"MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! …. WHY ARE YOU ALL LAUGHING! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! WHY'S THE SAILOR BADGER BACK! WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING! WHY'S SAM HERE! THERE'S AN ICEBERG! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MELT-IT! MEEEEEELLLLLLLTTTTTTTT-IIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT!"

She broke off, panting and breathing, her voice broken.

"What was that about not asking me to use my powers?" Brittany sassed, her grin growing as she saw Kinsey's expression of terror break slightly. She, Sam, and Tai the badger all came up to her, leant in, and whispered two words.

"GOT YOU!"

.

.

.

.

 **AN: I am a man of my words. I did promise a titanic conclusion to this little arc, did I not?**

 **.**

 **.**

 **I'd also like the thank the awesome Alpsarsis, for letting me include Sam. You can see him in his cute kid form here and there throughout the (truly pawsome) Guardian Blue series.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

.

Brittany woke up slowly, on what she sadly remembered to be the last full day of their break. They'd be landing back in the city late at night, and she and her family would be going separate ways once again the next morning.

She paused, shaking her head at that thought.

They'd still be seeing each other and keeping in touch, just like they'd been before leaving for the holiday. The only difference was that, this time, there'd be no bad feelings holding her back.

It wasn't like those six long years…

It wasn't.

.

Ever since that first tentative olive branch, where she chose to try and let them back into her life, they'd been visiting often. It had been one of her conditions, back when she was still very wary and cautious. At least one of them would visit once a week, and if they couldn't come before hand they'd phone her up, explain why, and give solid proof.

Otherwise, it was all off.

Her parents had agreed and more than delivered. Her mother had been able to move to a shift pattern that gave her weekends off just like her father, all helped by a letter from Bogo that explained the very basics of the situation and gave her request solid backing when she took it to her boss. As a result, the whole family went to visit her once a week, the contact back to the levels they'd been during her first four years at the ZED. Given how she could fly across the city, she also visited them at their apartment on the other day of the weekend. Calls and muzzletime also became far more prominent features even if it very little was said, happening on the majority of the remaining days. She pushed for them to use this contact option, which ironically she'd always had but never used.

A month in, just after she'd started as an assistor and just before the sudden deal on the cruise holiday came up, she'd begun to mentally kick herself for not doing far more of it during those six long years.

For not even trying to have a long phone conversation every week or so. Or look into muzzletime, even if her isolation meant she wasn't really aware of the option until she was sixteen.

She could have called often and talked, rather than simply stick with the occasional text, couldn't she?

That was why she'd been given a phone, was it not?

Then again, she reminded herself, she'd craved their visits. Them being with her. Their touch and the real sounds of their voices.

She'd expected them to come and had grown used to it when their visits tapered off before almost stopping. While she'd asked and pressed, she'd been happy at the ZED, and any lingering resentment at staying there had long gone. It was her home, her old one half burnt out and ruined at her own paws, and she wasn't going to kick a fuss or get angry about staying there. While ambitious, wilful and independent, she'd learnt to behave too, and accepted her parents brushing offs and non-committal at face value. They had important responsibilities, maybe the result of her actions, and badgering them continually wouldn't have made things any better. Potentially it could even work the other way, delaying them in finding the time for those few short and precious visits. Either that or give them less reason to visit in the first place.

But…

Couldn't she have asked to visit home for the weekends. Or holidays. Or her birthday… Or just… just something? With the exception of some school trips and the very rare excursion with Judy looking after her, she'd been kept within the confines of the ZED campus up until her sixteenth due to legal reasons, receiving the legal right to go out by herself, or maybe even getting her own place if she had the means, on that birthday just as every child in the city was. But she hadn't used that to pay a surprise visit to her parents, had she? She didn't ask if Judy could take her to them either. The few times she did pondered it, she'd shaken it out of her mind, telling herself her parents were likely too busy.

Before then, especially in her first year, she asked if she could leave the ZED entirely and return home, and given time she sort of got why the answer was no. Looking back, she wouldn't want to have returned, leaving her friends and new family.

But couldn't she have asked, before or after Kinsey, and pushed? Either made them more comfortable around her, or push them to admit the news much earlier? When so little of the damage had been done?

Then again, she reminded herself, there was that whole court case thing. Her parents, still trying to sort things out, had been sued, the council thinking that they were responsible in some way for the damage. Bellwether, who could become mayor very soon, pushed the narrative that their daughter, she herself, was a danger. A ticking timebomb with a bad attitude that they were responsible for.

Their defender had defended them by saying that they'd done the right thing, sending the lunatic to the asylum, and even letting her out for a bit would show that they were untrustworthy or reckless or…

She sighed, gritting her teeth and squinting her eyes. There had to of been a way for her to stop this, or…

' _NO,_ ' She ordered herself.

' _NO…_ '

It wasn't her fault, and she knew it.

She'd been here before. Back when she had started kicking herself for not phoning or texting. She'd been moody and grumpy, and Skye had picked her up on that. Asked her about it. She'd told her and then discussed it with Clawhauser and, together, they talked her through it. She didn't know why she was blaming herself after previously being so fixed on the guilt of her parents in this. Why she was putting the pressure on herself, taking on so much of the blame, when she was clearly not at fault in any of it given that they so obviously were.

She vented it all out, the only breaks being quick checks on her powers, making sure they weren't seeping out. A common skill she had to develop, but one she wasn't sure she could ever fully master. Could you ever trust yourself not to shout when you were angry? Oddly enough, the only time something got through it was the cold. From her insecurities, her doubt, her emptiness…

Clawhauser, one of the few mammals who she could entirely trust and love unconditionally, had taken her paws and stroked them gently. He'd smiled and explained a simple truth. Every child grows up thinking their parents are perfect but would eventually learn that they weren't. She'd been convinced of that until she was fifteen, when the lack of contact, stemming from what she'd presumed was honest issues, had built up too much for her. She'd dissociated herself with them, laying everything into her friends in the ZED. Skye became her sister, Clawhauser (much to his self-amusement) his mother, and Bogo, originally a teacher or mentor figure, into a replacement father. By no means a good one, given that his duty was with the main ZED, he naturally held back after his experiences with Jack, and he hadn't got nearly enough time to spend with her, but it was better than nothing. So she'd latched on, and latched on hard.

And that's why she took the news that he'd kept her ice powers from her and treated her as if she had the potential to become a monster like Jack so hard. Because a father would tell her and encourage her and teach her. The ZED had given her an afternoon every month or so where they'd practice stuff, getting her more used to the powers she knew she had, but she wasn't supposed to do anything other than the littlest things outside of that, was she? It was to make sure she was safe and in control throughout the puberty years in which things could go crazy.

They never did though…

The purpose for her confinement in the ZED never occurred.

In a way, the whole arrangement was pointless...

As for the whole lack of practice, after officially becoming an assistor that had changed and she'd started regularly practicing in the lab, making leaps of progress with helps and tip from the staff. But if she had a father figure who believed in her, that would have happened a decade ago or so…

In any case, Bogo had shown himself to not be what she needed and she'd snapped back to her parents, returning home and believing things could be fine and perfect. She'd gone expecting a heroic return and had been met with solid evidence of years of abandonment, lies, neglect and betrayal, all wrapped up in a little sister who was everything that every child feared most. A replacement.

Lost, confused and scared, she'd snapped back to the ZED. The illusion broken, she'd doubled down on everything, all to defend herself. Defend herself from the pain and the rage and the misery. She'd chosen righteous and cathartic anger against her parents, seeking eye for an eye justice, all so she didn't have to wallow in pain or misery. It had been her defence system. How she'd rationalised everything. Like before, she clung onto it tight, and trying to take it down would only flare it up.

Clawhauser had said that he pushed her gently to not break contact, given that he knew how much she'd loved her parents in the past and how much she could in the future. Any harder though, and he knew that the raw wound would flare up painfully, as it did when he brought the whole thing up. Had she chosen to go no contact he'd have totally understood and respected that, given that her parents had completely betrayed her and taken so much that couldn't be truly given back, even if they wished too. Now that she was trying to get into contact and heal those scars, things had changed.

She had the desire to mend this but was naturally wary, given the amount of pain caused in the past. It was natural to be wary of things that could or had caused you pain, and it would be a long road until it was gone, if it ever went at all. Still, that love and bonding was coming back in, and that push and tug was painful and confusing and so many other things.

And in that, Clawhauser had explained, holding her frosty hands as she pulled her powers back in again, she desired peace of mind or a level of control. All mammals wished for control. Family issues had come up because her parents had been scared of her, and the ZED wasn't truly set up or meant to replace them. Her father figures in life had all shown neglect and a lack of trust to some degree or other, and while they all had their reasons it was natural for her mind to stray to the one common denominator. The one that she had the most control over.

Herself.

He explained that she blamed herself to some degree because, through her hindsight, she saw ways of trying to fix a situation that so many others had caused for her by screwing up. She'd seen ways out that couldn't be seen at the time. She was hurt and wanted control and, in many ways, it was better to feel that she could have given herself a happy destiny, but failed due to her own mistakes, than that destiny and fate had chosen unhappiness and pain for her.

"So," she'd whispered. "I'm blaming myself because I want to?"

"Because you're trying to rationalise a whole load of things which are inherently irrational," he'd explained, leaning over to hug her. She felt warmth and comfort in his embrace, the only embrace she'd really had for a decade or so, at least until Skye was better. "But you don't have to. You don't blame yourself if you get dealt a bad hand of cards, do you? You didn't even get that, a number of mammals made mistakes that made your bad card even worse. Remember, however guilty you feel, it's not, and never was, your fault."

She chuckled, saying that this sounded like instructions to hate her parents again, just as she felt she was starting to make progress. She was confused and unsure, and he'd told her that that was okay, and that everyone was there to catch her when she fell. A few days later the call had come in, with her mother talking about this sudden excellent deal she'd found and how she had to decide on it quickly. She'd breathed in and out and told herself that, if anything, it was a free holiday. She'd called Bogo, who interrupted partway through to say that it, and anything with her family, was okay.

One month later, and here she was.

Still blaming herself a few times, but knowing that it was stupid to do so.

…Except with the whole business with Sam that was, she noted, rolling her eyes as she did so. She'd been inexperienced and madly in love and had screwed up.

…

Then again…

He would always be a friend, and by accident she'd given him a way to change his outlook on life and self-confidence. Even though she thought it was stupid and self-defeating, running away from himself, she had, in a way, helped him. As he said himself, he'd always remember her. Be friends with her. Thank her…

And, even if it had seemed perfect to begin with, it turned out that they may well have been doomed from the start as a couple.

She sighed, gritting her teeth. That feeling of someone big and strong, a real daddy to guard her and protect her and love her and encourage her, had, for the few moments she'd tasted it, been the best thing in the world. She hoped that one day, hopefully soon, she'd feel it again, and this time she wouldn't screw it up and would make it last.

.

.

With a yawn, she untucked herself from the duvet that covered her and placed her feet at the top of the bunk ladder. She began to step down, only to pause as a quiet voice spoke up.

"Brittany?"

"Yes Kinsey," she replied, smiling.

She saw the little kit sit up and give her eyes some big rubs, before furrowing her brow and staring at her. "I think you can be a real big meany sometimes."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she slipped down the rest of the ladder before walking over, planting herself at the edge of the bed. "Says the girl who was always mean to Sam," she chided. "He was really hurt from that, you know?"

"He did dump you, didn't he," she pointed out.

Brittany sighed, before shaking her head. "We… We decided that while we worked well as friends, we wouldn't get along as girlfriend and boyfriend." She frowned slightly, before going on. "If anything, I was at fault."

…

"So you ARE a big meany then!" she chirped proudly.

Brittany couldn't help but chuckle. "Is this about the prank last night?" She said it happily, but near the end her voice began to trail off, a worrying thought in her mind. "Did I…" she began nervously. "Did I really scare you?"

Kinsey turned, scratching her head, before looking back and shrugging. "I was a little scared, but I knew my big sister could save us."

"Good," Brittany said, with a sigh of relief. "That was…"

"-But it was still mean!" she interrupted, all but lecturing her.

The older sister chuckled. "I just felt you were being really mean to Sam, and really silly about that no power thing, so I wanted to get back at you. We did get you, didn't we? You were most certainly got…" As she said it, she saw her sister turn away and grumble, but carried on. "I think it's a bit of karma, don't you think?"

"I suppose. Sorry, Brittany."

"Thank you," Brittany replied, smiling. "And sorry too."

.

"Thanks…"

Looking on, the older vixen smiled, before stepping up to exit the cabin. However she was interrupted as she began the short walk over there.

"Brittany!"

"Yes," she replied, turning around.

"Can you stay please?" Kinsey asked, scooting over and pulling up a side of her bedsheet. Brittany, seeing the invitation, scooted in, and they snuggled up together. She watched as the little vixen curiously felt and explored her long blonde locks of hair fur, running her fingers through them.

"I wish I had hair like yours," she said, Brittany smiling as she did so. She leant over in response and ran her claws through the red furred head of her sister, before gently kissing it.

"Your head looks lovely just as it is."

Kinsey smiled, clinging to her tighter, before pausing for thought.

"… Can I have the hot water sister?"

Brittany frowned and shook her head, Kinsey's eyes beginning to tremble at the response.

"But… But why!?"

"You didn't ask nicely," Brittany chided, before booping her sister's nose with her claw.

Kinsey frowned back in response, before rolling her eyes. "Can I have the hot water sister, pretty please with sugar on top?"

Brittany didn't respond, instead taking the comfort and security she was feeling and using it to fuel her powers, which she directed into herself. Kinsey giggled slightly and snuggled up tight, only fuelling it further. "I'm sorry about Sam," she said. "I didn't want to lose you."

"You weren't going to lose me," Brittany comforted. "Not now, not when I get my next boyfriend."

"As long as he isn't a really really really really big bad wolf, then it's okay," Kinsey responded.

The older sister rolled her eyes, before picturing a big bad wolf, smiling at what she saw. She shook her head though, remembering the others things that mammals needed for a physical attraction, before turning back. "I quite like the sound of that actually," she teased, smiling as she saw her sister's eyes widen in alarm. "But I'll probably find that the scent is right off or something when compared to a todd," she added, watching as Kinsey relaxed. "But it's not up to you to decide who I want to be friends or more with." She gave her sister a boop on the nose, before adding in a gentle kiss. "-And if turns out I am an inter, and I do find a big bad wolf, you're just going to have to accept it."

"I know…" she whined. She fussed about a bit, before speaking. "It's just I thought I lost you before and I don't like that."

Brittany paused, turning to face her sister. "When was this?"

"Well, I remember the night I learned I had a sister." Kinsey began. "And it was normal, with Mum and Dad doing stuff and Mum upset and Dad trying to comfort her, and I didn't know why. I heard something about a birthday from Mum, and I later learned it was yours, and that was why she was upset. So, anyway, a bit later on I saw Dad get a call, and I listened in a lot, and he looked worried. He said everything was fine, and he needed to talk with Mum, and they did. Afterwards, they said that someone very important was coming around, who didn't know that they had me, and they might act real upset when they learned so they had to talk to them and introduce me before I could meet them. Until then, when they came, I had to stay in their room, which I did when there was a knock on the door and they told me it was this person."

Brittany nodded. "That was me."

"Right," Kinsey continued. "And I listened in, and I was worried as there was a lot of shouting and this new voice from someone called Brittany who was telling my parents to stop lying to her. She said that they sent her off to the government, so they could have a normal child, and I was curious as you sounded like they were your parents. So I opened the door and saw you, a red fox with pretty blonde hair and with fire around her, and she seemed scared to see me."

"It was… It was a shock," Brittany replied coldly, the conversation putting her in the wrong mood to carry on the hot water sister.

"I went back into my room when told," the little vixen carried on, "and you were talking about being my sister and your parents not forgiving or loving you, and I was getting worried as things were getting warm. And then it stopped, and I heard you race out and Mum crying." Kinsey's face saddened. "I went to hug her, to make her feel better, and I asked if she was a sister they hadn't told me about. Dad said that they'd kept me a secret from her, and treated her very unfairly, and asked me lots of times to not be mad at you, because it was all their fault. And I… I was worried, but then happy that I had a new sister. I asked if I could go out and hug her to make her feel better… And Dad said that she was running off, and we may never see you again." There was a sniff, as Kinsey shed a tear. "And I was sad as I wanted to meet you. I wanted to meet my sister."

Brittany looked on silently, not sure what to think but only feeling sad. Just sad.

Kinsey looked away, then continued. "Then my parents said that they had a daughter before me, who was empowered and could control fire. One day, when you were a bit older than me, you brought a fireball home and there was an accident and the apartment burned. Mammals from the ZED came, and said that they could look after you and help you with it, meaning that if things went crazy later on there wouldn't be any bad damage. You didn't want to go, but they thought it was a good thing, so they sent you. You didn't like it, but then you liked it, and they visited when they could. Then they learned that they were having me, and Dad was scared you might explode or…"

Brittany coughed, half laughing at the statement.

"Uh… -accidentally explode!" Kinsey clarified. "And he thought that if he didn't tell you they could look after me, and keep visiting you, but by the time they realised it wouldn't work it was too late. They had to look after me, so they saw you less and less. So little that it really really hurted you, and all they did was lie. They said you became so upset that you sort of stopped loving them, and it was super super painful."

Brittany nodded, before her sister carried on.

"And it was your eighteenth birthday, and you could do whatever you wanted, and they thought you'd be staying and become an enforcer. Instead there was an argument with the head of the ZED, which was mainly his fault, and you decided to come home. You saw me, and you thought that Mum and Dad didn't love you and hated you, and were happy lying and making you really sad so that they could spend time with a daughter with no powers, who was their favourite. You were super hurt and upset… and didn't feel loved by anyone."

…

Brittany softly nodded, waiting for Kinsey to continue.

.

"I wanted to hug you and say that I loved you then, to make you feel better. But no-one knew where you were. I thought I lost you then. All I had was a photo album, which was in a big case in a room that didn't get burned, and I saw these pictures of you. With my parents and at the ZED place… Then I heard that you were back there and safe, and Dad said he'd try to text you. Try and arrange a meeting, so that they could say sorry. I was so happy. I hadn't lost you! But you never replied, and I thought I lost you again..."

"I just…" Brittany began. "I felt that they'd abandoned me for so long that they didn't deserve to be back in my life. I saw no reason to let them in… I felt that my friends at the ZED were my real family."

"In the end, Dad said they'd turn up and try to talk to you. We went over, and this big bull came in and told my Mum and Dad that they were six years late, but it was about time they were here. He said that you did hate them, and he understood why, but he'd try and make you talk to us. Dad said that if you didn't want to talk to them at least tell her that I wanted to meet her, and she could see just me and not them. He said he'd do that last and then went off. Dad said that you'd be very angry, and may not have time for me, instead just shouting at them. At first, you did just shout at them, talking about weird things. But it got quiet for a bit, so I then said that you were pretty because I wanted you to feel better."

"I then showed you my powers," Brittany replied, smiling.

"You did, and it was cool, and I was happy that I might get to see you," she replied, before her lips began quivering. "But then… but then we had to go into this basement, and mammals were kind and played hide and seek. I then heard them say that the bad guy was gone, and that someone should come up first."

"That was Ben, the big cheetah," Brittany replied. "He was my teacher and does therapy, and Bogo wanted him up to comfort me after what happened. I… -I wasn't supposed to be up there, but I got left behind. I ended up being the one to kill the bad guy."

"I know," Kinsey said, nodding her head sadly. "But mammals began to move out, and we were told that we would be the last ones out. But over the radio the big bull said that we needed to come to his office and it was about you…" She trailed off, before sniffing. "Mum… Mum began to think that you were dead, and I thought it too! I'd just got you back, but I'd lost you again!"

Brittany's heart trembled at this news, and she dove in to hug her sister. "Oh Kinsey… I didn't…"

"-and when we finally got up, he was waiting for us, and Mum broke down crying, saying she'd never get to make it right. And I was crying too as I thought you were gone, but he told us all that you were alive! That you were to be the last to go down and got caught in the fight, and you were almost killed but then killed the monster with your powers but were really upset. We went into a room, and you were hugging this big cheetah who was just petting you… -and I just ran to you and hugged you, and I didn't want to lose you ever again!"

Brittany pulled in a tear. "Thanks. I remember just crying into him, saying that I thought I was going to die. I thought he was going to kill everyone, and then I used my powers to kill him. I was scared that he'd kill you, Kinsey, once he'd finished with everyone. I just hugged Ben, and he said it would be okay, and I remember first realising that you were hugging me, and… -and it just felt good, just like Ben and I hugging was."

"Well," Kinsey said, smiling proudly as she boasted. "I am a good hugger!"

Brittany chuckled. "You are, and when I'd calmed down my parents were there, asking if they could hug me to make it feel better. A little bit of me wanted it, but most of me didn't trust them. I asked them about those responsibilities they needed to do, as they were going to leave before we had to evacuate. They said that they had a giant one, more important than anything else, and that was why they were here. Ben said that it would be good for them to turn up the next day, and I think Mum asked if he could call her boss to clear it, him saying that Bogo would… I stayed a long time in there and ended up holding paws with them, before deciding to go back to my room." She paused, turning down and smiling. "But you kept on hugging me through all of that, didn't you?"

"You needed a hug," Kinsey said. "And I thought I lost you three times, so I didn't wanna let go!"

Brittany let out a guffaw, and then leant in to hug and kiss her sister. "I remember you being so upset when I decided to go back to my room. We all had to promise that you could see me tomorrow, and we did."

"You did," Kinsey replied, nodding her head.

"And…" Brittany said, breathing in and out. "There, we had some talks with Ben and Bogo helping, and I laid down my terms to my parents. Beforehand, I was nervous going in again, as I was going to see them… -But I was looking forwards to seeing you."

Kinsey nodded, and snuggled up close, Brittany returning the gesture by turning up the hot water sister high. "How about we spend this day together. Just sister and sister."

"Sister power!" Kinsey replied, raising a fist into the air, before they snuggled up some more, enjoying the start of the day in each other's arms.

.

After telling her parents their intentions and texting a quick explanation to Sam, Brittany and Kinsey settled down for some quality together time. Like all of the best quality together time, it was spent in their nightwear. Brittany had one of her nighties on while Kinsey had a pair of dark blue and silver pyjamas, a big cartoon character on the top.

"And who is she?" Brittany asked, as they snuggled up with a blanket on the bed, the hot water sister slowly warming up.

"You don't know who Luna the moon princess is?" Kinsey asked, gasping in shock. She turned down to the picture on her chest, of a white and grey she-wolf on top of a black, star filled, background, a silver and moonstone tiara on her head. "She's Luna the moon princess!"

"Well I know that," the older sister sassed.

"-And she is from a pack of wolves who the moon decided to save, as back in the old times in the mountains they lived in, howling was banned but they always howled to the moon. So evil soldiers came to send them all to jail but they still howled, so the moon brought them up and made them the kings and queens of the moon. That was hundreds of years ago, and Luna's daddy is the king now…"

"So, if hundreds of years had passed," Brittany interrupted, wiggling her eyebrows. "Who did everyone in the pack marry and have kids with?"

Kinsey frowned for a bit, looking up at her grumpily. "A lot of wolves got brought up! All the ones in the mountains! But Luna's pack is king and queen!"

" _Just checking…"_ came the waved off response, before the talk carried on.

"-and there's the wolves in tranquillity castle and tranquillity town she rules over, and she likes to sail her moon-yacht on the sea of tranquillity…"

Wiggling eyebrows, and then a sassy question, interrupted. "How can you sail when there's no air or wind?"

"HA!" Kinsey immediately shouted, the sound distracting her parents. There was a clatter of a spoon flying off a table and bouncing to the ground, drawing them away from their girls, before the younger one continued. "Solar sails!" A very smug look grew on her face, and she crossed her arms and pushed them down in triumph.

"… I see the writers thought of everything."

"And you have the mice astronauts in mouse base one, along with a few larger mammal astronauts, then there's Desmond the moon bear... and the moon men who hide on the dark side of the moon as the are shy. And it's so awesome and the songs are great to sing along to!"

Thinking back to the cartoons she'd previously watched with her, Brittany couldn't remember this one. She shrugged, before grabbing the remote. "It can't be that bad," she said happily, as her parents scooted quickly by to enjoy their drinks on the balcony.

.

.

…

By the time they'd finished their drinks, Nigel and Delilah were feeling more relaxed. They were so happy that this holiday had done so much to fix the scars that they'd created, though a slight nagging sense of guilt still hung over them, Nigel especially. He looked over to his eldest daughter, up and dancing happily with his youngest, as if they'd known each other from birth.

…

He huffed.

It was, and forever would be, his greatest regret. Even with what went on previously in their break, he still feared that he might screw up, or accidentally do something that would permanently destroy the rebuilt trust.

A soft touch lifted his head up, and he smiled as he looked at his wife.

"I was thinking they might enjoy some hot chocolates. Want to make them with me?"

He nodded, and they opened the door and walked back in. He looked over at the pair, currently in the middle of the room, side by side, singing and jumping up and down as they parroted the dance on screen.

' _And we do the best, best, Prance!_

 _What do we call it, it's the moon-moon Dance!_

 _Lunar surface shimmering…_

 _Eclipse time nearing…_

 _So come on over, borrow a rover!_

 _And do the best, best, Prance!_

 _The moon-moon Dance!'_

.

The song ended, and Nigel watched Kinsey burst into laughter, Brittany smiling by her side. The older vixen scooped her up and spun around, before jumping back onto the sofa. They laughed and giggled, and a smile grew on his lips. His ears and lips did tremble slightly as he picked up the spoon he'd dropped before, looking back at his youngest as he did so, but he shrugged it off. Some things were plain to see. Some things obvious. And, while nervous as always, he felt that given time and care things would be alright.

.

.

…

.

"We have karaoke?"

"It seems like it," Brittany noted, as she searched through the entertainment system. She sipped at her hot chocolate, pausing as her father caught her ears.

"Maybe you could give it a go?" he asked, smiling. "Even if it's only so a dumb old fox can hear more of your beautiful voice."

Brittany put down her mug and grinned, before searching through the songs available. "I could sing my favourite," she said, smiling as she saw two versions appear. The sloths' original, and the fast version for mainstream audiences.

"Bit retro," her mother observed, making her chuckle.

"I thought you'd say it was corny," Brittany joked back. "Anyway, I heard Skye singing it once, as it's the kind of music she likes, and said it suited me in more ways than one."

Delilah chuckled, before bringing out her phone. "Mind if I?" she asked, smiling happily as she received a nod in return. Standing up, Brittany pressed play and, as the acoustic guitar intro began melodically strumming, she held up the small microphone provided and took a deep breath in.

.

" _Well, you've got your diamonds…_

 _And you've got your pretty clothes,_

 _And the chauffeur drives your car,_

 _you let… -everybody know…_

 _But don't play… With… ME, 'cause-you're-playing with fire….."_

.

Taking a deep breath in, Brittany stayed herself for the next verse. Her voice was mid-ranged, though it tended to trail up a bit when she got excited or angry. But now she pushed it deeper, almost starting to build a growl in her throat, channelling into it the glowing embers of resentment and scorn that lay in the songs vocals and made it so good.

.

" _Your mother… she's a beta,_

 _owns a block in Hy-ena-Hurst_

 _And your Alpha'd be there with her…_

… _If there's nothing worse,_

 _But don't play… With… ME, 'cause-you're-playing with fire…."_

 _._

Another short break, the lead acoustic guitar doing a slight variation on the backing tune. It gave her a chance to swallow down some saliva and steady herself, focussing on keeping her voice in tune.

.

" _Your Alpha took her diamonds…_

 _and collars by the score,_

 _Now she gets her kicks in Pack-street,_

 _Not in -Rodentia anymore,_

 _So don't you play… With… ME, 'cause-you're-playing with fire…."_

.

A quick breath in, steadying herself for the final verse.

.

" _Now you've got some diamonds…_

 _and you will have some others,_

 _But you'd better watch your step, girl_

 _Or start living with your omega,_

 _So don't you play… With… ME, 'cause-you're-playing with fire…._

 _So don't you play… With… ME, 'cause-you're-playing with fire…."_

.

The guitar rattled to an end with the song and Brittany, placing the microphone down, took a bow. She rose to three rounds of applause and looked over to her father to see him wiping a tear from his eye. "What did I say about your voice being beautiful dear?" he asked.

She just swooned, only for Kinsey to butt in. "It would be even more beautiful if she wasn't singing a boring song! Can I pick next!"

Nigel looked to Brittany, who smiled. "Go on then, trouble," he said, as he and Delilah walked over to enjoy the fun with them.

.

So the day carried on. Lunch came around early and, afterwards, they chose to spend much of the rest of the day in the waterparks. Brittany didn't run into Sam or any of his friends, and while she was a little disappointed, she was also a bit relieved. She instead played with her family, the afternoon merging in a sequence of flume rides and water games, going on and on and on…

.

It was tiring, especially given that she was still a very weak swimmer. It was a relief then when it was time for dinner. They chose to go back to the fancy restaurant where she had her panic attack, something which seemed to have occurred far longer ago than it actually had. Not worried, and feeling none of the tension or apprehension she'd had before, she enjoyed the food and the company, along with the performance routines that went on below. She joked and chuckled, helped along with one or two glasses of wine, before, together, the family retreated back to their cabin. It was still earlyish so, rather than going to bed, they settled down for a film.

.

Scenes fluttered past, and characters were introduced and did their thing. Brittany, snuggled up under a blanket between her sister and mother, looked on happily. It was getting a bit late, and the soft creep of tiredness was pulling at her, making her eyes flutter and close on occasions. She embraced it, pulling her legs up and snuggling closer to her mother. Her head moved up against hers, their cheek fur intermingling, and she smiled as a kiss was planted on the end of her nose.

It was so simple, but felt so glorious.

As if it had stirred a craving, Brittany burrowed in some more, feeling the warmth of the mammal who had given birth to her against her cheek. An arm going around her, she felt herself being hugged, and began purring as the other paw began softly stroking around her nape.

It was bliss…

.

Bliss…

.

As she experienced it, a tiny whisper of thought passed through her mind.

How long…

How long since she'd felt as good as this?

Brittany shook it off, remembering that Skye and Ben and Bogo had always been there for her…

.

But…

.

It was an odd nag of a thought, but it drew her in. She loved Ben, she really did. He was kind and sweet and knew what to say, and he'd always been a beacon of passion or comfort. Whenever she'd been frustrated, either at her parents distance or other stuff, he'd been there to help. To hug. To care. It had always made her feel good and better. It was glorious. Amazing. Irreplaceable...

But it wasn't this…

A gentle tongue preen, the wonderful feeling spreading from it and pushing aside those thoughts for a second or two, hammered it home.

It was love. But a different kind of love.

…

The same for Skye. Hugging her when she was finally better was the happiest she had ever felt, and there was no way she'd hold the inability to do so earlier against her. She had been a true companion, and more than a friend. She was an honorary sister.

But however filling the love she'd given was, it could never fill the hole being filled now.

.

More strokes, along her top and head, and the feeling of being held tighter. Being protected. She felt it double up, and she saw her father through blurring eyes. He was by her, holding her too. Speaking works of concern and compassion…

.

After her short-lived hatred had rubbed off, she'd learnt to admire Bogo. Admire him, respect him… Look up to him. He was a mentor. A friendly mentor… At her lowest, she'd run to him for comfort and he'd responded. She loved him...

… But it was never the strongest of loves… Not like this...

.

Her eyes were closing and opening more often, the whole world becoming a blur.

When had she ever felt this kind of love?

This kind of completeness?

When…

When…?

…

She remembered a day, two days before her thirteenth. She'd been getting moody and upset. Her father hadn't visited for two months, her mother four, and her questions of when had been met with responses about being too busy and trying to find the time.

She'd been in a mood and looking out of the round window in her room. Rain poured down it, and the clouds outside were a dark and mottled grey.

She'd been wondering about the possibility of thunder, when a knock had come on the door. She'd said ' _come in…'_

…

' _Happy early Birthday Sweetie'_

In that moment, the gloom from before had been swept away and she'd turned, racing and almost leaping into her mother's arms. They'd hugged tight, and she'd felt this beautiful bliss wash over her…

…

The last time she'd feel it for over five years…

.

…

" _-tany please… what's wrong? What's wrong darling_ …"

There was a sniff, and her blurry eyes opened, and she suddenly felt that bliss replaced with despair and sadness. She sniffed in and sobbed out, realising that her eyes were crusted up with ice as she did so. Looking down, she saw her paws covered in frost, and sheds of snow coming off of her where the members of her family held on.

She pulled in her powers, the ice and frost leaving, before pulling in her parents closer.

.

.

"I missed this…"

…

"I missed it so much… -I, -I thought… I -thought I was okay without it, but…"

"Brittany," her father comforted. "However many times we have to say it, we'll be sorry forever for how we…"

"-I know," she interrupted, before wiping and eye, clearing away the tears that were flowing from it. She turned to him and leant in, wrapping her arms around her father and holding him tight, drawing strength from his returned embrace. "And I… -I forgave you a few days ago… Don't… -don't you remember?"

"I do," he replied.

"But…. -but I thought I was happy at the ZED," she carried on. "And I was… I really was. But I still missed you…"

She tugged them in closer, and they all hugged her, and slowly she cried out her tears.

.

.

.

"As I said, I loved them, but I still missed you."

Brittany had finished crying, and then cleaned herself off before going out onto the balcony. The cool air helped clear her mind, while the sounds of the ocean were relaxing. The pounding of waves on the ship was frequent, deep and power.

Like a heartbeat.

Somehow, some way, it reassured her.

…

She turned down and rubbed her face, trying to pull her thoughts into view. "The ZED were fantastic," she continued. "Mammals in there are my closest friends, and one is even an honorary sister. They… they treated me well, and with kindness, and in many cases love. But…"

…

"But they could never replace you," she sighed, turning to look at the three other foxes who were out by her.

"I know," Nigel began. "And I was…"

He was cut off as Brittany pulled up her palm, before carrying on herself. "They were kind mammals working for the government, and having to run through certain rules and ideas and such, and I get that they had to do that," she replied, remembering things such as how Bogo wouldn't help train her powers beyond safe control until she'd matured and signed on. How, bar the odd field trip, she'd been kept inside until she was sixteen… All things that were understandable looking back, but at the time…

"I wish I'd had both them and you," she said sadly, looking out. She stared at the moon, deep in thought.

"And I wish I hadn't of been a coward," Nigel began. "Or an idiot. Even if it had taken me being in a secure room or something to push up the guts, I should have just…"

"And did they offer to help?"

…

"Pardon?"

"Did they offer to help?" Brittany asked again, looking at him.

He sighed. "Bogo was mainly very angry, and then telling me that it was my duty to tell you, before he'd have to take action. I…"

"So no," she noted. She looked down at her feet and scratched the side of her cheek. "I remember when he came in and offered the student placement. You were… you were against it, and he mentioned how my powers might go crazy in puberty." She looked away, and chuckled. "The only time they did anything like that was right after I aged out of the scheme. Because OF COURSE it would come then…"

…

She breathed in and out, steadying herself.

.

"They could have helped too… couldn't they?" she pondered out loud. "They could have set it up so they had me during the week, and you at weekends, and at least paid for the taxi or something, given how long it takes to get to and from the campus. Or… or just put me on a summer long training course, to get the basics of my powers! I didn't even spend that much time practicing them in the grand scheme of things… Far less than if I'd have been free and out in the city, able to do it on my own… I wasn't allowed to do it unless I was in the test chambers, and whenever I was doing it, it was just doing it to test and practice my control. Those… those sessions could have easily fitted into a summer. Or maybe they could have pushed and helped get some summer holidays with you or something, so we could go together and not drift apart! And… and if I was in danger of going crazy in puberty… If they really did feel that once I was there, I should stay there all the time and not have gone back for short trips or so… why couldn't you have moved in too!"

She turned to look at them, her arms out. "You were homeless. They could have given you some housing in there, and helped you move jobs or… or something!"

…

Her parents looked at her sadly, before her father nodded. "It felt like it was all or nothing, and Bogo said that it was set up that way. It was a painful decision at first… To send you away… But I convinced myself it was the safest thing."

"It really did seem unfair," her mother added in, quietly. "I was against it, but he convinced me. I'm sorry I…"

Brittany grunted loudly, waving her arms up in the air to stop them. "If you're going to apologise, do it for apologising too much. Please…"

…

They turned to each other and nodded before turning back, speaking out in unison. "Sorry."

.

Brittany chuckled slightly and, turning towards them, smiled. It was brushed away with a sigh though, as she looked back over the ocean. There were lights up ahead, a glowing spire pushing up into the sky.

Zootopia.

Her home…

"The ZED are so many great things," she said. "But there are some things they are not… Some things they can't do…. -And it doesn't have to be one or the other. There's no reason it needs to be all or nothing!"

The last of the tears dried off her, and her parents noticed a hint of warmth among the cool breeze. They watched as Brittany looked out over the sea, back towards home, her body hardening with resolve.

"The ZED are great… But they can be so much better. When I return, I'm going to make it my mission! I'm going to work hard and help it improve! I'm going to reform it from the inside out, so that no-one will ever have to go through what I did ever, ever again!"

.

* * *

.

 **AN: And so we get to the end of chapter ten, and the first arc… As I said before, Brittany making this statement was supposed to be the end of chapter 2… However, the holiday arc and all the emotions just gave too much to write about (more than the original Familiar fire!)**

 **I'll likely be taking a decent sized break soon, getting some other projects done and doing the prep work for the next arc of this fic. I only have half to one-third of the next chapter done, and November will be spent trying to work on a seperate project of mine. I do intend to come back and finish this though. I'd like to thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Oh. It's this fic!**

 **It's been a long long time.**

 **How have you all been?**

 **I've been great (bar the full on bone aching, sore throat creating, bug that I got a few days ago (blindsiding me on the last two days of a ski holiday to boot!)). Besides that and christmas, I've been busy these last 3 months. I paused this fic as I wanted to try and write the first draft of my own novel (which I hope to eventually publish) for the november writing challenge. So, 50,000 words in a month… -I did about 75,000! And, if you add in those I did finishing off a fam-fire chapter and doing the christmas carol oneshots for this year, I almost did 100,000 in one month.**

 **I also wrote some more fam-fire chapters, ready for release, both before and after that writing challenge. I have a ton of chapters, making up almost all of the next arc, either ready for release or ready for proofing. Some of which I think you will all love! Even better, I plan to publish them weekly, so (ideally) no more delays!**

 **Bar a quick recap for those who might want it.**

 **.**

 **Previously on:**

 **.**

 **Familiar Fire: Episode II(B)**

 **The Embers of the Past.**

 **.**

 **At the same time Nicholas Wilde was framed by Jack Savage,**

 **young lawyer Dawn Bellwether saw her father murdered by a**

 **dangerous empowered mammal. She later prosecutes the**

 **parents of Brittany, for the local council, in a civil case for costs**

 **caused by the apartment fire. Though she loses, it helped**

 **to keep the Voxen family seperate from their daughter,**

 **setting the stage for them keeping Kinsey a secret.**

 **She would eventually pursue a career in politics,**

 **to the point where she is a likely replacement for**

 **the embattled Mayor Lionheart.**

 **.**

 **In the present, Brittany joined her family on a cruise**

 **holiday, part of a plan to rebuild their bonds. Saying goodbye**

 **to Judy and Skye, who was bitterly arguing with Bogo about the**

 **treatment of Nick Wilde (now known to them as innocent,**

 **but still pursued for his crimes), she leaves, still a bit nervous.**

 **Quickly falling in love with her sister, she also forgives her mother,**

 **but still has major, if not greater, issues in trusting her father.**

 **.**

 **On seeing a rabbit with similar looks to Jack Savage, she**

 **suffered a panic attack. This leads on to a nightmare. As her**

 **Father comforted her afterwards, she realised that she accidentally**

 **traumatised him the same way that Jack terrified her.**

 **Seeing everything in a different light, she easily forgives him.**

 **.**

 **She also encountered a red fox tod during the trip, who she finds**

 **herself crushing on. After meeting, this turned into a sudden**

 **and rapid love affair, that Brittany charged strait into.**

 **Kinsey did not approve. Skye (who enjoyed the distraction**

 **from some risky things she was planning at the ZED)**

 **loved the news, and encouraged her onwards.**

 **Sadly, they fell out due to Brittany pushing too hard.**

 **It turned out that the things she loved about him were**

 **things that he hated about himself (his looks/ image).**

 **Though they had similar backstories, they had different ways of**

 **coping with the ultimate root of their issues. He wanted it gone,**

 **while Brittany believing in fully embracing it as part of you.**

 **Despite this, and her concern, she helped him**

 **change his appearance, much to his delight.**

 **However, she found herself not in love with the new**

 **mammal she saw, even though she dearly wished to be.**

 **So, they left each other, staying as friends.**

 **.**

 **The distraction over, Brittany spent the last day of**

 **her break with her family, especially her sister. During it,**

 **though, she realised that, while the ZED did their best,**

 **they couldn't fully replace her family. As a result, she**

 **decided to help reform it, to make sure no-one**

 **went through what she did ever again…**

 **.**

 **And so the Saga continues.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 11:**

.

For the final time, Brittany woke up on her top bunk.

They didn't have long to get ready and get out, so she quickly slid down her ladder and began re-packing. Clothes after clothes after clothes went into her case, and she chuckled at both how many hadn't been needed, and how many she'd got through as well. Singing, dampness and crying had all gotten through a number, and when she returned to the ZED she'd be throwing them into the laundry.

The last few bits in, and she pressed down on the case, zipping it up tight. With a grunt she entered the lounge with her case in tow.

.

She could tell that something was off immediately.

.

Her parents looked at her nervously, a serious but upset expression on their faces.

"…Uh…" she began, not really sure what to say or ask.

"-I didn't learn about it until this morning," her father began, interrupting her.

"Didn't learn about _what?"_ she replied back, a sudden sense of unease and distrust beginning to creep back into her, back from the lightless pit she'd thrown it into. What had happened? What had come up? What new secret did they have?

"I…" he began, before his eyes widened. "OH heavens no! -It's-not-like-that-I-swear!"

She backed off a bit and relaxed, managing a smile as a wave of relief washed over her. That ended, however, as a new sense of confusion took its place.

"So, what is it?" she asked, her head tilting to the side in curiosity.

Her father took a deep breath in and out, sighing as he did so. "Lionheart lost his vote…"

…

"Oh…" she said, her voice slightly hollow as she remembered what was going on. He was out and that would mean Bellwether might be coming in, with that might entail. She sighed, her paws coming up to her face and wiping down over her eyes. She massaged them in frustration before looking up again. "Well, I suppose it can't be that bad," she noted, huffing. "I'll get through this."

" _We'll_ get through this," her mother added, moving forwards to hold her paws.

She held them back, before moving in for a cuddle. It was warm and soft and reassuring, just like all those that she had missed during those long years.

The fantastic additions from her father, and then her sister, only made it all the better.

She pulled in her powers but still let out a tear, before hugging them back tighter and then letting go. "Thanks," she said, smiling.

.

Soon it was time to leave the cabin and, together, they grabbed all their cases and made their way out. Down with all the other mammals, they jumped off onto the dockyard. Their family made their way over to the taxi stands, where they'd be going their separate ways. Her parents catching a cab to a nearby subway station, and herself a longer one back to the ZED. They were there, waiting… Ready to pull them apart once more.

…

With a sniff, she turned around before leaping forwards, grabbing her family and pulling them in tight. "This… this was the best week of my life," she managed to say through the odd sniff. "I… -I love you all," she added, turning to kiss each one of them. "-And I won't be mad if you're a bit busy and don't come super often… -but please come often!"

She felt the hugs around her tighten, before her mother replied. "We will… -I don't want to lose you ever again."

"Me too Darling," her father added. "I never want to make the same terrible mistake ever again…"

"If we don't visit often," Kinsey added, "I'll make sure to be super annoying!"

Brittany laughed before letting go. Her steps felt heavy and the walk long, but she did it anyway. The odd tear came down from her eyes, but she had a smile on her face as she stepped into the taxi, closing the door and turning the driver. "The ZED campus please."

There was a grumble in response and the car began moving. Turning back to face them, she brought up her paw and waved goodbye. They waved back, Kinsey jumping up and down in the air as she did so, as they got smaller in the back window before vanishing all together as the cab turned a corner.

.

.

.

…

Wiping her eyes and composing herself, Brittany turned back forwards, relaxing in the seat. She knew that she'd be balancing a lot: being an assistor, keeping close to her family, trying to reform the ZED _and_ dealing with whatever Bellwether might do…

But she was confident that she could manage.

…

The drive went on, and the driver turned up the radio on her request when a news talk show came on. She listened on intently, hoping she'd pick something up.

 _._

 _._

" _-while there are a few contenders, most mammals favour Dawn Bellwether to replace Lionheart, especially given how she helped lead the rebellion in her own party against the outgoing mayor. In general, her policies are standard to moderate, though she has taken an interesting stance_ against _empowered mammals… Her claims that they were putting mammals out of work, were causing far too much collateral damage and not putting enough back in were met with condemnation from empowered groups and the ZED, but have been receiving a large amount of bipartisan support…"_

Brittany phased out slightly, twiddling her fingers as it carried on. Words were being thrown about, but she didn't really know how they translated into things that affected her or her friends.

"… _While what the new premiership will mean for our fair city state remains to be seen, we still have a week or so of the old one. In occasions like this in the past, the outgoing incumbents have been known to try and push through a variety of new projects or controversial reforms. Indeed, we're now going over to the ZED campus where Mayor Lionheart is to make a speech. Any idea what this is on?"_

" _No Hannah,"_ another mammal added, " _But both the location and the presence of Yumba Bogo, commander of the ZED, seems to suggest that this might be to do with Bellwether's policies. Is the mayor taking a stand against his replacement?"_

Brittany's ears rose up, and she listened closer at the mention of the commander.

" _Well,"_ the first reporter added, " _I know a lot of things about taking stands, but this would be remarkable and unpreceded if it were the case. This kind of thing hasn't happened when one party is replaced by another in an election… But doing it to someone you'd be expected to support after!"_

" _Unless we'll be seeing a complete resignation in this speech too!" the second host said with a laugh. "In any case, we'll be linking over to the ZED campus right now, where he's about to speak."_

 _._

 _._

There was a fizzle of static, before the sound of the mayor's throat clearing. " _Citizens, tourists, illegal immigrants and others…"_ he began, proudly and aloofly. " _Mayor Lionheart speaking! Still Mayor Lionheart… (vote-lionheart)…. Soon to be ex-mayor Lionheart, according to those poll counters… Not that I trust them, am I right?"_

 _._

 _._

 _._

…

" _Anyhow, given that it seems that I won't be mayor for much longer, you may be expecting this to be about me! Who wouldn't be? There's quite a lot about me that every citizen would love the hear….."_

…

" _Hmmm…"_

…

" _Ah, Greg?"_

Brittany paused, hearing as some muffled mumbling came from off-screen.

" _Hmmmhhhmmmpppffff."_

" _Put that down on the list of my potential new newspaper column names…"_

…

" _Hmmmhhhmmmpppffff?"_

 _._

" _Yes. Below the combustible lemon chronicles…"_

 _._

" _Hmmmhhhmmmpppffff."_

 _._

" _You are a mammal of no culture Greg."_

 _._

" _Now, back to all of you! Yes, you may be wishing to hear more of my fantastic voice, especially after learning that half the time in the last year it was that prankster empowered shapeshifter. Ha, the things he went on about!"_

… _._

" _Hmmmhhhmmmpppffff."_

…

" _Does it look like I'm interested in sound economic theory? Does it look like anyone, except that imposter, is, Greg?"_

…

" _Hmmmhhhmmmpppffff."_

…

" _People don't want that kind of talk coming from mayors!"_

 _._

" _Hmmmhhhmmmpppffff."_

 _._

" _Greg. I am ACING this interview!"_

 _._

" _Hmmmhhhmmmpppffff."_

 _._

" _Remember what I said about things people wanted to hear from mayors? How about more of their fantastic voice, huh? Besides, in the whole 'avoiding being involved in reference jokes' aim, I'm as solid as a frozen jello dodecahedron in a feldspar mine!"_

 _._

" _Hmmmhhhmmmpppffff."_

 _._

" _Oh please! Next you'll be saying I'm failing the 'avoiding being in meta jokes target too'!"_

 _._

…

" _Ha, the facepalm of your enemy is the sweetest and most intellectually gratifying signifier that you have won… Regardless, it seems that I won't be mayor for much longer, so I have the opportunity to do stuff, and not care about my future poll scores. There are limits though, and limits mean compromises. Speaking of which, Commander Bogo has something of utmost importance to say. Carry on."_

 _._

Back in the taxi, Brittany heard the clatter of reporters, all asking questions. Many of them were about Bellwether, and what his opinion of her was. He shouted them all down though, his yells silencing the crowd as he prepared to speak.

Something was off though.

The tone in his voice.

Brittany couldn't help but feel a pang of worry, given how defeated it sounded.

.

" _Good morning,"_ he began with a sigh. There was a pause, and Brittany could hear him breath in and steady himself before he carried on. " _I am here to announce a number of new developments to the public. Last night, these were relayed by the one of our enforcers to the mammal in question, with the ZPD doing the same duty to their close family. Today, though, we make it official. Nicholas Wilde is to be pardoned and declared innocent of his supposed crimes."_

Brittany gasped, smiling suddenly. From believing him to be a villain at first, she'd eventually learned that he was a good mammal that had been screwed over, and hearing that his suffering had finally ended filled her heart with happiness. After all, the mammal who helped Skye deserved a happy ending.

She turned her ears back to the radio and listened on as the crowd mumbled on, confused.

…

There was a groan as Bogo sighed. " _Nicholas, 'the hustler', Wilde."_

This time the whole radio burst into noise, angry shouts or exclamations being belted out. Brittany even felt the car sway, and looked up to see the driver cough in shock.

" _Alright… settle down_ ," the commander began, before pausing. " _SETTLE DOWN!_ "

…

" _Thank you_ ," he muttered. " _All of you are wondering why this wanted mammal has been pardoned of his crimes, given his infamy and repeated attempts at resisting arrest. Part of the reason I am here today is to explain the truth of why he has been pardoned… And the truth is…"_

…

" _-the truth is, bar resisting arrest, he isn't actually, in the technical sense at least, being pardoned for any crime. To be pardoned would infer that he committed a crime. Of his major ones, Nicholas Wilde is innocent. He never committed them in the first place."_

There was a collective gasp, followed by more angry questions from the crowd. Brittany could imagine him waving them down, before carrying on.

" _Due to his reputation, a complete explanation of this is in order. This… this was the requirement before today and, had I done this sooner, his name could have been cleared sooner. However, I didn't. And I didn't, because…"_

Brittany heard him trail off, his voice suddenly weak and scared. It sent a shiver down her spine, and she made a terrible realisation. Right then, just like him, she was weak and scared too. She was terrified.

" _-because…"_

She knew what he was going to do. She knew and she didn't want it, she suddenly really didn't want it…

" _-Because I, and I alone, am the one responsible,_ " he said despondently. " _I am the guilty party…"_

Brittany's body shook, and she gulped with worry. Worry about what was going to happen to Bogo. What was going to happen to the mammal who was there for her, who she idolised, who supported her for so long.

The crowd was silent. She could hear and picture his sigh as he went on. " _Over ten years ago, Wilde came to me personally with a warning. He believed that one of my enforcers, Jack Savage, was a danger. I dismissed that warning out of hand, before offering him a place as an enforcer, an offer he declined… I also made a terrible error. I told Savage. Not long after, Savage told me that Wilde had used his super speed to shake down a wall of the tundra town bank and steal a large quantity of gold… Wilde resisted arrest and went on the run and, a few weeks after that… -a few weeks after that... Savage turned on us. He killed several mammals and permanently, and brutally, crippled his enforcer partner…"_

…

Brittany felt a tear go down from her eye and did a quick check of her powers, before he began again.

.

" _I should have known after that that Wilde was likely framed by Savage. Some lawyers argued that, with Jack gone, there wasn't even enough evidence to bring him to trial. I pursued him though, even when I did realise the strong possibility. I did so because we believed that we could use a theoretical technique to transfer his healing power to the crippled enforcer, who at this point was still in a coma… When a mass murderer attacked a bar Wilde was in, slaughtering multiple mammals, he ended her with one punch. I heard the eyewitness reports, saying that he was attacked first with an ordinarily mortal blow, and she was turning around to give him a second shot. Determined to bring him in and grab the cure, I… -I overruled the police and argued that it was our best interest to bring him in for trial, with the secret goal of giving us access to him. When he dealt with a rogue hypnotist, who was performing indecent acts on underage girls, the same process repeated itself… I pursued him to all these years, but when Jack Savage returned, he came to our aid selflessly…"_

…

" _Before he was killed, Savage taunted that he'd framed Wilde for the bank robbery…"_

 _._

That sentence hadn't been like the others. Brittany could feel it. It was something alien to her. It almost sounded like he was begging for mercy. From the crowd. From the justice system. From Wilde… She didn't know.

 _._

" _I'd like to say that my pursuit wasn't in vain. But… but when we eventually got access to his genetic material a few months ago, it was after an off-duty enforcer and a ZED resident had encountered him in a crowded public area. They'd requested a parlay, he accepted, and in-spite of all we'd done to him he gave us a sample…"_

 _._

There was a sniff. It wasn't from Brittany though, it was from him.

.

" _Because of my arrogance, and belief I was doing the right thing, I didn't just take ten years of Wilde's life… -I failed the one I tried to help… She lost what was almost a decade, because of me. I… -I failed. I failed her, I failed Wilde, I failed society. Even after his good deeds, I was hesitant to seek a pardon for him because I knew that it would involve coming clean about what I had done. How I arguably abused power. How I may well have perverted the course of justice. At this point I… -I was guilty of the same thing Wilde was, being scared and running. Ultimately though, after being threatened with this whole affair being made public, I chose to come clean about it on my own terms… I will face any legal action that Wilde or the city decides to subject me too, and I will pay any debt it believes I owe…"_

…

" _Given all this, it is also clear that I cannot carry on in this position, given how I have failed to uphold the values that it is meant to represent. Therefor… -therefor, I hereby resign as Commander of the ZED, with enforcer Kristen Fangmeyer taking my place. I would also like to, sincerely, apologies for the pain I have caused… to all the mammals I have harmed. Thank you."_

…

The radio turned back to the two chat-show hosts, but Brittany wasn't listening. Her body was covered in ice, but it felt like a shard had been driven through her heart. Her knees up, her head down and her arms holding herself tight, she cried out.

She'd finally mended her relationship with her parents, only to have her other family thrown into turmoil. Bogo had been a pillar, someone to grab onto and hold and be reassured by. He was her hero, and she loved him…

And now, for all she knew, she may never see him again.

 _Why?_ She thought.

 _Why…?_

…

And then she remembered a conversation she'd had with Skye, just two days before.

.

.

 **-(52 hours previously)-**

.

.

"Bree… I'm not sure if you've heard the news."

"About Lionheart and Bellwether?" she asked nervously.

…

"Yeah, those two, and how we might be losing one as a mayor soon and getting the other," came the glum reply. "With Lionheart… from what I gather he'd be fine pardoning Nick if we come clean about what went on with him, but… But with Bellwether, we all think that she'll still try and charge him for resisting arrest and all that other stuff. I…"

"Don't worry Skye," Brittany said. "We'll figure something out."

"I already have," she noted. "But… but it will cause a lot of pain and bad blood and… Urgh!"

…

"You okay?"

…

"Bree," Skye said softly. "I… I've seen how much mammals lying or withholding information from you, all because they think it's the best thing to do, has hurt you. And… and I know I'm guilty of that too. And it's unfair..."

"Skye?" Brittany asked softly.

"I'm going to try and pull something, something that could screw up the ZED if it goes wrong and cause a lot of pain. I want to warn you now, even if it all goes right and you're worrying for nothing, because I don't want to…"

"Skye," Brittany interrupted. "It's fine… It's fine…"

…

"It is?"

"Yeah," Brittany sighed sadly. "Don't talk about it… I'm on holiday, so you don't have to be cloudy if you don't want to…"

…

There was another sniff before a happier voice spoke out. "Thanks Bree."

"You're welcome."

"Now," Skye began, now much happier. "How have things been going?"

Brittany had answered fully, talking about her good news and her bad, and getting comforted through her own worries. By the end of it, she'd told Skye that she was an honorary sister and it perked her right up, before being sent off with words of encouragement.

Sending her sister off, Skye turned her phone off, breathed in and out to steady herself, before setting to work. Hopping off her bed, she began gathering papers and documents from the desk in her room, making sure they were in the right order. She grabbed her laptop, loading copies of items onto a draft email, saving everything and then entering the email address that she'd looked up. As she did so, she noticed that her charger was plugged into an oddly placed set of sockets, fitted strangely onto the wall. She paused, blinking a few times as she saw it. Her room had many items like that: a plug and tv port placed high up over her bed, a fitting for the screen they'd been attached to, many little plugs added here there and everywhere, metal brackets that had been left in place, the scars from where additional medicine and 'food' shelves had been added to the walls…

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of the muzzle, trying to push the encroaching thoughts away. Turning to a small framed picture, she looked at the two blonde figures in it and steadied herself, before gathering her things up and leaving.

Down the stairs, through a corridor, up to a door. She knocked sharply three times, before entering as her name was called out.

"After all this time," she commented as she sat down, "it still makes me a little nervous when you use your power to do that."

Bogo looked at her cautiously, huffing in thought, before replying. "But usually not that nervous. I presume this is about the news…"

Skye nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Yes. The fact that Nick might be locked into years, if not another decade of…"

"The answer is no."

…

Skye nodded and gulped, before turning down and bringing up her laptop. She opened it up and turned it around. Neither she or Bogo needed to say anything, as he scanned through the pages and the contacts, his eyes widening as he did so.

"Skye…" he began, his voice a terrifying mix between a warning and a growl. The vixen, tiny in comparison, shivered as she heard it, before gulping as Bogo turned up and stared at her. "After all I did for you," he began calmly, before a simmering anger took over. "I don't want to have to throw you out!"

She blinked, her fists clenching, as she stared back. "I am not some investment of yours, just like Nick Wilde isn't some collateral damage."

"I could fire you right now."

"And I can still send this," Skye retorted. "Every newspaper in the city hearing what you've done, and then learning that you fired the whistleblower."

"It won't help Wilde!" Bogo almost shouted, as he leant over. "All this will do is harm the ZED!"

"Which is why I'm giving you an option," she parried back. "The truth is coming out whatever happens. So, you can either let the press tear you to shreds with my news, or you can give them your side of the story first and pardon Wilde as you do so. I'm giving you the chance of keeping the ZED's dignity, and some of yours, intact."

…

Skye looked up at Bogo. The massive buffalo glared at her, his presence filling the room and dominating it. She could see the straining and trembling in his muscles and the way his fur was flattened down to help vent heat, even though the room was cool…

"You're scared. I can see it." She said.

He glanced sideways, before stepping out of his chair. She watched him walk towards his window, using his cane to help him over. He still hadn't found the time to get an operation to fix the last of Jack's damage. Too busy rebuilding, retraining, reorganising. The latest thing that had been coming up was an upcoming 'war game' exercise with agents from the United Mammal States, designed to test their rapid response and teamwork abilities ever since Jack showed them up. All things he'd been juggling. All things he'd been pushing forwards, ahead of himself.

"I… I know you love the ZED," Skye stammered, her eyes misting. "And I know that you are not a selfish mammal. But I can't let you carry on destroying Wilde's life in my name."

…

"Yumba," she began, a faint smile flicking across her muzzle as she saw him grumble. "Do you know who you remind me of?"

"Who?" he asked, his voice hollow.

"Nick Wilde," she said. She was surprised to hear a quick guffaw come over from him.

"In what way?"

"Both of you were scared," she said. "Both of you ran away from the law when it came from you… -and I get that. I understand. But… -But Wilde was innocent, and after warning us about Jack he suddenly found out that we'd turned on him. We'd turned on him, and he had every reason to fear that Jack or someone would come and kill him, or get revenge… You though? You know you're guilty, and you know that none of that will happen to you. You were happy justifying Nick's treatment, all stemming from mistakes he did out of fear for his life… But you knowingly made mistakes, you justified them and refuse to face them, running away like he did. Not to protect your life, just your reputation…"

She trailed off, tears coming down her face, and she wiped them away, her muzzle trembling, as she carried on. "So please. The Bogo I know would have the decency to hold himself to the same standard as everyone else. Not to think he was better or special… But to lead by an example, -and not be the scared hypocritical stranger I see in front of me now!"

…

"You're serious about this?"

"I… -I can't do nothing," Skye said, her voice growing more determined and resolute. "Even if this injustice _wasn't_ done in my name, I can't sit by and do nothing."

…

Bogo turned around and looked at her, his body trembling slightly for a second or two. "I guess I should have seen this coming," he noted, gaining Skye's attention. "I should have expected it, knowing your father."

Her eyes widened as he glanced away, his eyes turned to the ground. "That's a compliment… -by the way."

Skye paused, blinking a few times. "What else would it be?"

He let out another short guffaw, before breathing in and out. "Very well…" he almost whispered. "So be it then."

.

The air had held the feeling of a funeral for the rest of that day. Bogo called the soon to be ex-mayor and briefed him on what was planned. Lionheart agreed, given that he had nothing to lose and Bogo would be the one in the spotlight. The new chief of police was also there, looking on as the paperwork was signed. He mumbled and shook his head about the pardon at first, and then did some more when thinking about the truth. Judy volunteered to give the news to Wilde, having an idea of where he hung out, while a police crew left to inform his next of kin, his mother.

For a while it was just Skye and Bogo in the room, the larger of the two taking a pen out and scribbling notes down. The cream coloured vixen watched him write, then cross out, then repeat the process again and again. The silence was painful, the little sounds of his body moving and working dominating. Skye looked away, feeling unable to break it.

A short while later the chief of police entered, stating the officers had informed his mother.

His radio chirped and, answering it, he placed it back down again.

They'd seen him turn up.

A little while later Judy bounced back, landing just outside the lobby. She entered it and looked over to Skye. "It's done…"

Skye let a little smile flash over her muzzle, before it was replaced by an ever-present frown. "How did he take it?" she asked, glad that the bunny was in the room for her to focus on.

Judy, her ears drooping back, shrugged. "He backed off a bit at first. I guess he was a bit sceptical that this was real…" She paused, glancing up to the looming figure that sat silently in the room before turning back to Skye. "But when I explained what was happening, he seemed to warm up."

"Apparently he raced back to his mother's place," Skye noted.

Judy managed a little smile this time. "He stood around for a bit thinking," she recollected, "before he smiled, said thank you, and raced off somewhere."

"I guess you now know where."

The bunny nodded before sighing, slinking one of her ears over her shoulder so she could pet it. "Yeah… -end of an era... now what?"

Skye opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She paused, not sure what to say, before giving up. She shook her head, before starting to move out. "Let's go back to our rooms…"

Judy nodded, but didn't follow her out. Staying inside, she looked up at the hulking mass of commander Bogo, his back turned to everyone as he hunched over his desk. She waited for him to move, before realising he was silent. Not even his pen moved anymore. Just staying there.

"Commander…" she began, only to get cut off as an arm turned and a silencing palm was thrust out towards her.

…

"Can you just leave me…" Bogo said quietly. "I… I have an important speech in two days' time."

"Oh…" Judy noted, before turning to walk away. She stopped as she did so though, before turning and racing back, planting a soft hug around one of Bogo's legs. It tensed up slightly before relaxing, and Judy let go of it after a few pats. "You'll always be my favourite commander," she said, before sharply saluting him and marching out.

.

…

Bogo stood still.

Then pen, unused, trembled in his hoof.

He breathed in and out calmly and quietly, but the sound dominated the room.

He didn't move or turn his back once…

His pen, unused, was still in his paw. It wouldn't be used to write words today.

The only new marks on the word filled, scribbled out mess of paper in front of him was a few small wet marks, which came dripping down from his eyes over the next hour or so.

.

.

 **-(The present)-**

.

.

Tears flowed from Brittany's eyes as she pulled up at the ZED. Paying her driver, she sniffed as she exited it and made her way towards the lobby. Press vans and other reporters were parked outside, waiting around like vultures. One or two came to gorge upon her, asking her if she was a relative of Wilde and what she thought of the news. She ignored them though, as she walked between two security guards and into the lobby.

She was back home.

But it felt broken.

What would it be like in there? Skye and Bogo would be at each other's throats, wouldn't they? What if loads of mammals, Judy and Ben and Madge and Karen and even ones like Sam and Callie, hated her for what she did? Booted her out, or shamed her, or… -What if they wanted her to join in! Right after she told Skye that she was her sister… She couldn't!? -But then what if they then treated her the same… She closed her eyes and sniffed, and suddenly remembered something else that had been said on her holiday. Her mother, hoping that she'd never be caught between two mammals that she loved.

She felt the hoarfrost creep over her, before she pulled her powers back in.

Here she was. Caught… With no idea what the right choice would be.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

.

Broken.

That's how it felt to Brittany as she hauled her case into the lobby. The scars of the battle with Jack may have been patched over and fully repaired, but there was something profoundly wrong with the whole place.

She could feel it.

"Oh," someone said, sounding as if he'd just been mildly distracted. "Welcome back Brittany."

She lifted her eyes and saw one of the receptionists on duty at the desk. The moose waved at her feebly before turning back to his desk, hurrying through a set of documents. There was a pause as he typed into his computer, before he finally spoke up again. "How was the trip?"

There was no enthusiasm behind it, he sounded tired and overworked.

"Fantastic," Brittany replied, though she didn't sound like it. She looked around before moving closer to the desk. She could see that the large mammal looked unsure of himself, almost a bit shocked, and given what had just gone down she couldn't blame him. She meekly approached him, before clearing her throat. "Where's Bogo…?"

He looked up sharply. "You've heard the news, right?"

She nodded her head sadly and watched as the moose looked down. "I don't know I'm afraid, try his office."

Pulling her case behind her, she headed off to it, noticing his face collapse into his hooves as she left. The cold and awkward arrival soon turned into a cold and awkward walk throughout the entire facility. The normal business was gone, and the few mammals she saw simply felt wrong. The way they walked or held themselves, they seemed like they'd just lost a bad fight and were limping back home, trying to come to terms with it. She guessed that she probably looked the same way, but she passed on regardless. She _had_ to find Bogo, even if it was to see him just one more time. She didn't know what was going to happen to him next, but she didn't want to take any chances. She didn't want to have him taken away from her. She didn't want the goodbye from before the holiday to be her final one… Approaching the office though, her face lit up. There he was! Standing outside his office door, slouching over, stood Bogo. Brittany dropped her bag and began running to meet him, ready to call out as her heart fluttered and emerged from its cold hibernation of fear and doubt, only to be cut off as she felt something race past her. She flinched to the side, her eyes welding shut for a second and, as she opened them, she saw the cause of the shockwave. Nick was there, standing next to Bogo.

The Buffalo's eyes kept themselves planted to the floor and he shrugged, huffing slightly, as the red fox looked up at him with a blank expression, his eyes half lidded in what looked like contempt. She felt a flash of worry, and even fear, remembering that he was still a deadly empowered. Her feet remained frozen to the floor though as he spoke out.

"Bogo…" he said, his voice an unsettling near-calm.

The large Buffalo glanced up at him and cleared his throat. "I can guess why you're here?"

"Oh," Nick noted. "Can you now?"

"Before you do anything rash," he said, as Brittany saw him gulp. "I'm going to guess that you _don't_ want to go on the run again after so many years?"

"Hmmm… Would you like that?"

"Not really."

…

"Good thing you're right," Nick said, as he gave a silly grin. It vanished though as he took in the much larger mammal. "I still remember when I came to warn you about Jack."

"So do I."

"And I had _plenty_ of time to ponder over it," he said, a chill to his words. "Remembering it. Thinking for all those years afterwards, on the run and alone at your hoof. Thanks for that."

"Listen," Bogo said out loud, his hoof out in front of him. Nick's tail swished back and forth impatiently, a whip like flick at the end of each turn, as the cape buffalo thought for a second or two. "I won't deny that I treated you badly…"

"-If you're going to give a heartfelt apology, don't hold back on the words," Nick said coldly, a simmering anger behind his words. "'Badly' is a bit tame, don't you think?"

"-But I thought I was doing the right thing," he explained. He looked away as he cradled his head in his hoof, rubbing his temple. "I thought I was doing the right thing…"

"Hmmm," Nick thought, nodding his head as he did so. "I don't want to see what you think is the wrong thing then. Unless it's just that your moral battery was put in the wrong way or…"

"-I trusted Jack like he was my own!" Bogo shouted out, even Brittany flinching from it. The cape buffalo breathed in and out before looming up over Wilde, staring him down. "I would always trust him over you, and I'm sorry! But when he turned and crippled Skye, I was broken. The only thing I could think of doing was helping her. Helping a fox who I'd failed, and I thought that if we could bring you in we could do that. I did it to give someone their life back."

Nick looked up and yawned, before waving him away. "I guess she's lucky she's your favourite. It would probably be a bit of a bummer for her if you decided that it was her life that you'd…"

"You didn't help things…"

Nick paused, his ears pricking up as he heard the growl like seethe of the former commander.

"I treated you wrongly with the murders, but not with the robbery. I was a blind idiot, you can lord it over me if you wish, but I'd have likely kept on chasing you for that regardless. You'd still be chased, and you'd still be able to end it all easily. All you had to do was go to a trial like every other mammal in the city has to if they're called up," he spoke, standing up taller as he gripped the handle of his cane tighter. "Yes, we screwed you over. I screwed you over. Yes, you were scared. But you knew you were innocent and you chose to never prove it, didn't you? You could have done that, cleared your name, and I could have cured Skye!"

"Ah," Nick sighed, as he leant back on the wall and gave a cocky smile. "Back to the old times we see? You blame me for your mistakes. Didn't take long, did it?"

Bogo blinked, before turning away and sighing. He was silent for a few seconds, before murmuring back. "Listen… I wanted to help someone, and I let that blind me. I screwed you over, then tried to avoid revealing my mistake because I was scared. Scared like you were. I'm sorry, okay."

…

"Nice to hear," Nick happily chirped. "Now, a refund on those ten years would be swell."

"-Please don't be like this."

Nick chucked sharply. "I'll be as I like, Yumba. And I think we can arrange something."

Bogo was silent for a few seconds, before sighing. "If you want to press charges on me… just do it. Harassment, slander, perverting the course of justice… If it's revenge you want, feel free to spend all of the windfall we gave you for your good deed on some lawyers or something." The mention of legal charges sent shivers down Brittany's spine, an unease in her gut bringing her out of the whole scene for the first time since it stated. She shook it off and stared back again.

Nick silently looked at Bogo, his expression betraying nothing.

"… You know what Bogo," Nick slowly began. "You're right…"

…

"That's why I won't be doing that kind of thing."

Both Brittany and Bogo were hit with a wash of relief and confusion. "Pardon?" the latter asked.

Nick stood there and shrugged, before wandering off. "A few…" He paused mid-sentence, his eyes suddenly fixed on Brittany, before carrying on. "When I last spoke to the little sorceress over there, I said that I tried to feel like Robin Hood you know…"

"Robin… Hood?"

Nick's eyes went wide. "You seriously don't…"

"I know who he is."

"Good," Nick said, before carrying on. "Protect the weak, steal from the greedy and powerful… Protect the city and fight for the right, even if you become an outlaw…" He waved his paw around in the air before sighing. "Maybe it was a coping mechanism after that last part was forced on me… -but I enjoyed a lot of that lifestyle maybe a bit too much at the very start. I became used to being an outlaw, and had I chosen to try and prove my innocence once I learnt Jack had… -Well, who knows…" He brought a paw up and wiped his eyes, almost grovelling a little. "I knew I could have gone to trial, though I was still scared that you guys would be rather vindictive or I'd be given years, and I sort of realised that I shared some of the blame a while ago…"

…

"Oh," Bogo noted. "I…"

"AH!" Nick interrupted, a finger up and a cocky smile on his muzzle. "I still get to hate you, but I've got some making up to do in the living department, and I don't want that bogged down with courts and lawyers and all the kinds of parasitic mammals you really should be going after."

…

A slightest of slight grins grew across Bogo's muzzle, while Brittany almost lost her footing from the shock of the relief. He wasn't getting screwed over, or charged, or…

"-Besides," Nick carried on, "that would just be cruel after what you're about to face."

Bogo and Brittany froze, the former speaking out. "What…?"

Nick looked at him, an almost guilty look on his face. "Remember, I can still change my mind on the not-suing policy, so I don't sue, you don't sue, understand?"

"Wilde…?"

He ignored him, turning to Brittany. "You may want to look away for this!"

"What!?" she asked, beginning to step forwards.

"All clear!" Nick shouted, before turning back to her. "Seriously, you want to keep a good distance away."

"Away from what!?" both she and the ex-commander asked, before the crash of a door being slammed open silenced them. They flinched down, as the most hateful sound they'd ever heard filled the air.

"YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

They both turned to a nearby door and spotted a middle to late aged vixen standing there. She panted heavily, her teeth bared, and an outstretched claw pointed straight at Bogo.

"I tried to talk her out of it," Nick quietly quipped as he backed off. "I really really did, I swear. But she, bless her heart, wouldn't have it any other way. -And remember, I can still sue you back if you do anything!" Bogo, meanwhile, turned to face the new arrival.

"Oh…" he noted, giving the most forced smile and the most desperate attempt at a cheery voice that Brittany had ever seen. "Mrs Wilde… -I presume? How are you today…"

She blinked, before grabbing her handbag in one arm and beginning to spin it up faster and faster. "How am I doing?! Well, I'll tell you, you filthy, rotten, piece of filth cad-munching gelding pile of good fer-nuthin' DOG!"

"Listen, I'm sure we can…"

"BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!" she shrieked, beginning to charge forwards "HELL YES I'M GONNA!"

He gulped, backing towards his office, glancing over to Nick as he did so. "Can you tel- ARGGHHHHHHH!"

He was cut off, screaming and hunching over as his hooves went to his groin, doubly fast as Mrs Wilde managed to get a second direct hit with her handbag. "I FILLED IT WITH BRICKS JUST FOR YOU!" Opening it open, she showed the very real one to him as he sunk to his knees. He had little time to formulate a response before the brick was back in the bag, and the bag was launched across his face.

"Mrs Wilde," he groaned, sinking further down. "I don't tend to fight old ladies, but…"

Two paws grabbed his horns and yanked him down, his eyes suddenly level with the furious vixen's ones. "YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE STITCHING UP MY LITTLE NICKY!"

Any response Bogo could give died as Mrs Wilde's two fists had a very forceful meeting with his eyes. "TEN YEARS I DISOWNED HIM, BECAUSE YOU LIED TO ME! AND IF A HUNDRETH OF WHAT HE WENT THROUGH IS TRUE, WE'RE ONLY JUST BEGINNING!"

Brittany looked on in horror, as Nick's mother began an all out assault on Bogo. She didn't know what was worse, the fact that she was laying into him, or the fact that he was just taking it.

"FIGHT BACK!"

"Brittany…" he began, standing up as he grabbed the deadly handbag, only for Mrs Wilde to leap up into it and remove one of the bricks. Anything else he was going to say was cut off as the brick had a forceful encounter with his toe, sending him stumbling back. As he did so, the attacking vixen yanked her bag out of his arms, re-bricked it, and began spinning it up again. "THIS IS FOR TELLING ME NOT TO BE THERE FOR HIM WHEN HE NEEDED ME!"

Brittany flinched as it whacked into one of his hands, sending him flinching back, away from the door to his office. He pulled back and tried to dodge another few swipes but made no attempt to swipe back. All he managed was a few stuttered-out attempts at apologies.

Looking on, something in her changed.

She could already feel the heat in her stoking up, shimmering and radiating out of her as if she were a bit of metal pulled from a fire. While she made an instinctual check to stop it getting worse, she didn't seek to quell it. Instead, she raced forwards towards the pair. "GET YOUR PAWS OFF HIM!"

Mrs Wilde ignored her, carrying on her verbal and physical assault of Bogo, the buffalo now simple retreating backwards from her. She didn't swipe anymore, but she continued to scream out, ignoring her.

"I SAID LEAVE HIM ALONE YOU DOG!"

This time she snapped to face Brittany, the younger vixen feeling a literal chill as she caught a glimpse of the furious pair of eyes staring back.

They didn't do so for long and almost immediately snapped back to Bogo. Racing forwards, Brittany put herself between the pair trying to block the assault.

"Brittany," Bogo urged, "this isn't anything to do with you…"

"Yes it…" she began, only to yip as she felt a pair of arms hold her and push her off to the side.

"HE'S RIGHT! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE TO PULVERIZE HIM!"

There was no way she was going to do that, and as she recovered she looked back angrily at the older vixen. She flinched at each verbal and physical attack that the vixen spat out, and only got madder that she hadn't been thrown into a wall yet. If Bogo wasn't going to stand up for himself, then she certainly was.

She felt her powers warm up, but her eyes opened in horror that the thought of using them in this situation had even entered her mind. She slapped a paw against herself hard, then did so twice as hard for good measure, the sharp sting a suitable self-punishment for daring to think that way, and then she turned for something else.

A small coffee table, with a number of mugs laid out for hot drinks. She ran to it, picked one up, and tossed it.

It smashed next to Mrs Wilde, but she didn't notice. Bogo did though, and he turned to her out of alarm. "This isn't your fight!"

"Yes it is," she seethed, as she grabbed another. "GET OUT OF HERE YOU FILTHY DOG!"

A lick of flame helped the mug on its way, and it smashed into the side of Mrs Wilde, immediately grabbing her attention. Brittany gulped as the focussed rage of those eyes turned on her, but she swallowed it down. "You heard me! Lay your filthy paws off of him!"

"Filthy…" she growled, before pointing at Bogo. "You realise what that monster did to my son!"

"Yeah," she seethed. "And I don't care! All I see is you're hurting Bogo, and if he's not going to fight you I will!"

"This isn't your fight."

"YES IT IS!" Brittany yelled, a few tears in her eyes as she grabbed another mug and lobbed it. This time she made sure to give it a good cannon blast with her powers, and hoped it knocked the damn vixen out cold.

There was a flash and it stopped mid-flight, held but a suddenly worried Nick. "Listen," he urged out to Brittany. "Leave this between us, I…"

He yipped as his mother barged past him, her handbag already spinning up. "You're with that useless piece of trash, huh? Well, prepare to end up like…"

She jumped back as Nick zipped by her and restrained her.

Hard.

"She was a student here!" he shot out, his mother fighting to get free before turning to face him. "-A student, for a very long time, and she's probably very close to him."

"Damn right I'm close!" Brittany shouted, getting another mug ready just in case. "How'd you like it if I was doing this to your Dad or someone!"

Mrs Wilde made another move, but Nick kept her still. She looked forwards, angrily, before holding up a finger and pointing it at her. "If you do anything else to me, I'll be back onto you!" she warned.

"Mother," Nick said, pushing her back. "She's also the one who killed Jack, -and I don't want you to be a pile of ashes just yet!"

This time Mrs Wilde pulled back, looking over at Brittany with a much more neutral expression. The tension in the air leaving, she let go of the mug she was holding and took a deep breath in, before reigning in the majority of the heat shimmer around her.

"…Thankyou," Mrs Wilde said. "-But what I said still stands." At that, she turned around sharply to face Bogo, who was standing by his office door.

-and immediately entered and locked it, prompting a shriek from Mrs Wilde. "COME OUT OF THERE! COME OUT AND FACE ME YOU COWARD! YOU GELDING! YOU…"

"No."

His deadpan reply only seemed to make her angrier, and she began pounding and kicking at his door. Brittany watched on, before flinching as she felt Nick by her side. Composing herself, she looked up at him, then back at his mother, then back again.

"… Is she always like this?"

Nick was silent for a few seconds, before letting out a small laugh and rolling his eyes. "Bogo hurt her little Nicky," he said, almost proudly. He looked down at her and smiled before giving a quick shrug. "I know you got rid of Jack, but you must understand that this is a whole new level of hatred and doom."

…

She looked over at Mrs Wilde, then back again. "I do now. Is she empowered or something?"

A coy little smile. "She's a mother. Does more need to be said?"

Brittany's mouth twitched to the side a bit, silent as she couldn't think of any reply.

"In any case, I get that you probably like Bogo, so you probably got how she felt," Nick carried on. "Just times it by a billion."

This time she relaxed, though she still looked angrily on at the vixen. The door was bruised from her assault, and she stood outside waiting for him. "I do wish he'd thrown her halfway across the room though. He shouldn't have taken any of that… -no offence."

Nick back off, raising him palms. "None taken. None taken…"

The full excitement of the sudden event catching up with her, Brittany took a deep breath in and out, feeling a bit wobbly on her feet as she did so. That, and the whole emotional toil catching up with her was probably why she began crying, not that she realised it at the time.

"You doing good little sorceress?"

She glanced up at him, noticing at the same time that her eyes were watery, and sighed. "No… -urgh… I finally make peace with my birth family, then this one all goes to hell." She took a deep breath in and out before turning away, sitting herself down on one of the chairs at the drinks station.

Nick looked on, pondering what had been said. He opened his mouth, a finger raised up, but it died down as he shook his head and backed off slightly. He instead turned to his mother, who'd finally seemed to have run out of energy.

.

.

"Bree!"

Brittany's ears tilted up, and she lit up as she saw the cream coloured vixen who'd just arrived. Skye.

"You've heard the news, right? I'm so so sorry, but I…"

She was cut off as Brittany jumped into her, wrapping herself around the leucistic fox in a tight hug. She swayed a bit from it, but quickly returned the favour, hugging back tight.

They stayed that way for a while, before coming apart from each other. "Good to see you again Skye."

"You too Bree. You good?"

The red fox sighed, her paws coming up to rub her eyes as she turned over to face the other two foxes in the room. "No. Things kinda went crazy just now."

Skye sighed, shaking her head. "If you want to be mad with me, I…"

"No."

She pulled back a bit as Brittany took her hand.

"I know what you did," she said, looking down. "And I hate what happened. But nothing between us has changed, okay? Things between you and everyone else… -I don't know if they won't care or if they'll hate you… -but I still love you."

Skye smiled and nodded, before the two pulled each other in for another comforting hug.

…

"-I was going to ask if you were doing okay, but I think you are."

Brittany looked over her shoulder at Nick and gave a warm smile. "I'm good Nick. I'm…"

She was cut off as Skye suddenly broke the hug, standing upright and then making her way past her. "Nick…?"

The todd paused, before shrugging. "Yeah.

"Nick Wilde!?"

He nodded again, and Brittany saw Skye pull back slightly and begin to tremble. "Skye," she began, catching her attention.

"Uh… -Can you go, ummm…. -unpack and clean your room!"

"…What?"

"Unpack your case and clean your room," Skye repeated, a smirk growing on her muzzle. "You said that you could deal with that bombsite when you got back from holiday, didn't you?"

"I…" Brittany mumbled, before her eyes widened with realisation. "-Oh. Yes I did, didn't I?"

Skye nodded. "Maybe find Judy afterwards."

"Okay," Brittany said, sounding unsure. She began to make her way away from them regardless, picking up her briefcase as she did so. She watched over her shoulder though, and watched as Skye turned back to Nick.

"You're Nick Wilde! The Nick Wilde!"

He looked a bit unsure, and even took a step back. "Yes…"

It may have been her new speed powers or her old set or both or neither, but Skye seemed to fly into him, hitting him with a hug before he even knew what happened.

"Uhhh…"

He looked at Skye, and his confusion doubled as he saw the tears beginning to flow from her. "Thankyou! Thankyou so much!"

"What for?"

Stepping back, she looked at him with wonder in her eyes, before pulling him back in. "For giving me my life back."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

.

"So…" Nick began as he sat down, joining Skye in the ZED cafeteria. He breathed out, pausing as the rest of the sentence hovered uncertainly on his tongue before coming out as if he was stepping on thin ice. "You were... the one... Jack... -injured."

The cream coloured vixen hummed a quick 'uh-huh' as she sat down next to him, a fried chicken sandwich in her paw. She nodded sharply for good measure, looking at him before her food took her attention once more. Turning towards it and opening the top, she exposed the meat and, pulling a small bottle from a pocket, added a liberal application of a potent smelling hot sauce. "Yeah," she noted. "I was… -now how about a nice tasty chicken sandwich!"

Nick rolled his eyes as she took a deep bite, tearing off a chunk of her meal. Crumbs from the chicken breading along with fragments of the sliced onions, pickles, cheese and all other kinds of filling sprinkled down in front of her, and he thought for a moment that some more might escape from her mouth as she chewed. It didn't come to pass though, and instead he looked away from her, up at a corner somewhere. "Given how mad that little sorceress was when she thought I was the one who injured you… -and what she and Carrots said later, and how Bogo acted. I'm guessing you were more than just 'injured', am I right?"

He looked back at her, and pulled back slightly as he began to see the tears flowing from the corners of her eyes. She was sniffing, breathing hard through her nose, and Nick's ears immediately drooped down at the sight. "Hey…!" he stammered out, looking around sharply before scooting towards her, arms out to reach around her shoulders. "Woah! Sore subject, I'm sorry," he hushed. It didn't work, and he looked on as she got worse, her head bucking down as her paws came up to cradle her eyes. Her sniffing was turning into full on sobbing, and even through his cynical exterior he was feeling pangs of guilt for triggering her or something. "Please don't cry!" he urged. "Can we… -can we turn off the waterworks, just a little bit?"

He pulled back as Skye rose up, her head tilting back as she took a giant swallow, emptying her mouth. "YAHOOOOO!"

…

While a red fox's mouth couldn't physically drop to the floor, Nick's gave it its best shot possible, even if it remained within the bounds of being subject to a figurative expression. "Uh…."

His head tilted to the side in confusion as Skye sat back down again, chuckling. She licked her chops before grabbing the rest of the sandwich, pausing as she went for a bite to look at him. Another quick chuckle, helped by the red paw gently sliding his own sandwich away from him, before she spoke out. "This stuff _really_ scratches my spice itch," she said, gesturing to her hot sauce bottle. Looking over at it, Nick paused as he noticed a very large public safety warning printed over it.

"I didn't know lava flavour was a thing."

Skye rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I always enjoyed spicy food, and given that your healing power really dampens the spiciness you need something to compensate."

Nick remained unconvinced, looking down at the bottle and back up at her several times. "I've seen car batteries with fewer warning symbols on it than that."

There was a soft shrug from Skye as she brought up her sandwich again. "Well, thanks to your healing powers it's not like it can do any real damage?" She took another big bite, and after a few chews she returned to her previous sniffling state, albeit with a new side of table banging.

"True," Nick replied, turning back to his own sandwich as it jolted up and down with each impact. "But my food tastes tend to involve experiences that aren't outlawed by the Geneva convention." He took a bite and moaned slightly, smiling and nodding as he savoured the food. Fresh vegetables, creamy and smoky cheeses, juicy chicken with a soft breaded cover, crisp and sharp vegetables, a sweet hickory barbeque sauce and soft bread with a flaky crust all danced on his tongue. "Bonus points if it's awesome, like this."

"Yeah, it's awesome," Skye boasted. "But even more so with MOLTEN FIRE ON IT!" She jumped up in excitement, Nick's eyes widening as she carried on rising, almost bumping her head against the ceiling. She sunk back down again, turning to see that the red fox had a slight smile on his face. "Enjoying this?" she teased warmly.

His mouth piqued, and he coughed slightly as he turned away. "Probably not, I…"

"Naaah!" Skye jokingly dismissed. "Just me being nice and sunny, am I right?"

"Great. Now there's three types of burns I have to fear around here."

The cream coloured vixen paid him no mind, sinking back down to her seat and ready to continue on with her meal. She paused though, before shaking her head and placing it down, facing him properly. He looked down to see her put one of her paws on his, cradling it slightly as a thumb pad ran over his knuckles. What surprised him was when she looked him in the eyes. She wasn't smiling and she didn't look happy, but she didn't seem upset either. If anything, she looked bashful as she turned away for a second or two before turning back. With a huff she spoke out, scratching behind an ear as she did so. "Anyway… yeah. I have to thank you for what you did. For me… You gave me my life back."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but what exactly happened?"

Skye paused, before her eyes flicked away.

"If you don't want to say, that's fine. I…"

"-Are you sure you want to know?" she asked, interrupting him. "I mean, it's probably really depressing, and it'll make you down or so. It's quite a cloudy thing, so if you don't…"

"I do," Nick interrupted, a smug grin flashing across his muzzle. "I asked, didn't I?"

Skye took a deep breath in and nodded. "You did. Anyway, as you heard I was Jack's partner back when he was in the ZED. We were… -good friends, and I trusted him. We all did. But things began getting hectic, and confused, and one day we suddenly realised that something was a bit off. It got worse the next day, and we began to realise that we had a potential issue on our paws and… -We confronted him. We told him he needed a break and some therapy, but then he began to go crazy."

"Not 'ha-ha' crazy if I remember him," Nick noted.

"Yeah," Skye sighed. "The 'Together we can rule the universe crazy'. I tried to stop him, but he caught me in his gravity well and…"

She paused, and Nick spoke. "Broke every bone in your body I'm guessing. He did it a few times to me… -not nice."

Taking a steadying breath Skye spoke out. "No… I was knocked into a coma for five years, though I could astral project myself before then, so it wasn't like I was trapped in."

"Astral?"

"I can fly out of my body as a ghost," Skye said with a shrug. "Afraid I need to be asleep though, so no demo. Anyways, I could hear and see and speak, and you get used to not being able to feel. But not being able to taste wasn't fun, as was not being able to hug others or such. After five years though I recovered from my coma, which wasn't as fun as it sounds."

"How bad?"

Skye brought up her left paw and wiggled it about. "He missed this chap. Apart from that I couldn't move. It was a struggle to speak. I could tilt my head about, but the rest of my body just didn't work. I couldn't even feel below my waist…"

There was a huff from Nick, as he turned to the side and scratched his head. "Ouch."

"No, actually," she noted, bringing his attention back to her. "They dosed me up high enough to avoid that. But I was still locked in for twelve hours a day or so, though I shifted to a nocturnal sleeping pattern so that I could hang out more with my family."

There was a slight scoff from Nick, piquing Skye's attention. He noticed her gaze and shrugged. "When Bogo offered me a place, I'm afraid that's kind of the reason I said no. In my book, government agencies becoming family leans a _bit_ too far on the two and two is five side of things. The little children they have training up is a cherry on top too. I mean that little sorceress…"

"-Brittany," Skye corrected, smiling.

Nick's eyes opened slightly, and he nodded. "Yeah, her. You realise she called Bogo a father or something?"

"Literally a father?"

"No, 'like a father' really. Or something. Might have just been a figure of speech."

"Probably not," Skye noted sadly, turning away. "While it's apparently all cleared up and forgiven now, she went through a lot of really horrible crap with her parents, and she relied on us for all her support and love for a long time. I'm not going to say anymore as it's not my place… -other than the fact that she named me an honorary sister!"

Nick shrugged and gave a hideously smug smirk. "I rest my case. Do you call Bogo papa too?"

Skye scoffed and shook her head. "No," she said clearly. "But we were all close here, and he worked so hard on this cure of his for me. When I got your powers and healed, it was the happiest day of my life. But, I… Well…" She deflated, and hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, for putting you through all the crap you…"

"-Hey," Nick interrupted. "No need to be sorry."

She looked up, a hopefully gasp on her muzzle. "You sure?"

"One-oh-one percent?" Nick smirked, turning back to take another bite of his sandwich. "I mean, it was Bogo who…"

"-In my name," Skye clarified, sounding dejected. "In my name. I'd have rather stayed crippled and just suffered by myself than hauling another mammal into it."

Nick, a bite in his mouth, chewed and swallowed before shrugging. "You know the stories of Robin Hood?"

For a second Nick thought he was a mall Santapaws looking into the wonder filled eyes of a kit before Skye answered. "Oh yeah! They were my favourite."

He chuckled. "Mine too… -and when I found myself thrown on the wrong side of the law for a crime I didn't commit, I thought the idea of being a Robin Hood two would be good. Help out, do the right thing… -and looking back, I should have _maybe_ been trying to explain what happened, rather than being this hero…" He looked away sadly. "I kind of have some of the blame for what happened, and I should have done things a lot different early on. The trouble is I'd dug myself hole too deep by the time I realised that." There was a glance up, and he smiled. "I dug that hole myself, you had nothing to do with it. But thanks for getting me out of it. Good job. Ten out of ten stars would recommend you."

There was a chuckle from the cream coloured vixen. "Thank you too. If there's anyway I can repay you just say?"

Nick turned back to his sandwich and shrugged. "Don't pant it," he said with a smile, before taking a bite. Skye followed, and was soon sniffing out and hammering on the table as she endured the spice. As she swallowed, her tongue was out, panting away for a few seconds as the heat cleared.

"What did I just say?" Nick teased. "Anyway, I might ask a favour in the future. Twenty years down the line, you might owe me a pawpsicle."

Skye giggled, and was about to take another bite of her food when Nick interrupted.

"By the way… how are you settling in with my powers?"

Skye turned and shrugged. "The healing is always on. As for the speeds, it gives my flight powers a decent boost, and I can get really fast with a run-up."

"Any times you've accidentally charged into a wall?"

Skye paused, bashfully looking away. " _Maybe…._ "

"Noob."

"Hey, that was only on the first week!" Skye defended. "Though I don't tend to be able to push it to its limits. Going at what feels like a jog is super scary, while I'm still not sure when punching or such, given the power behind those."

Nick looked at her glumly and nodded. "Yeah…" he said darkly, trailing off as he turned back to his food.

Skye paused, her eyes widening with alarm before she leant forwards. "Oh gosh, I didn't go all rainy Skye on you, did I? Listen, I'm…"

"Don't pant it," Nick repeated, turning to her again and smiling.

She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled too. "Thanks…"

…

"Hey, Nick?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering," Skye began, as she looked back at him. "I don't suppose you mind… -doing some practice? Like a jam session, but with powers. See what we can do and maybe have some fun."

Nick was still for a few seconds, lost in thought, before he shrugged. "Make it blueberry and we have a deal!"

Skye giggled, leaning over to pat Nick on the back. "Awesome. How about this time tomorrow on… _hmmmm_ -the grand Kula reservoir? We can race across the lake."

"Sounds… good!"

"-And," Skye teased, "I have something super cool that I want to try and do." She smirked proudly, before pausing as a little set of beeps came from one of her pockets. "Ah, I'm clocking on in a bit for my standard shift, so I'll have to be off now!"

Nick nodded in agreement. "Sure… -Enjoy, doing good ZED stuff. Stay away from the bad stuff."

"I will," Skye replied, her eyelids half lidding slyly. She picked up the rest of her sandwich and stepped away, smiling as she did so. "And thank you. Again. Thank you so much for all you did for me, and I'm so sorry that you had to go through what you did."

"Thanks for helping me too." Nick replied, waving her off. She sped off into the distance, at what seemed super-fast for a normal mammal but awkwardly slow for Nick. He turned back to his sandwich, planning to finish it and check up on his mother. See if the poor dear had worn herself out yet. Bringing it up, he held it tight, ready to take a huge bite.

"Hey!"

He flinched suddenly, the new voice sending a quick wave of panic through his body. His claws gripped down onto his sandwich, sending the contents flying. He almost went flying too, before remembering that he had nothing to fear.

 _BANG!_

…

He looked behind him to see that his chair had tipped over. He suddenly remembered that he was halfway up into a flying exit, and his flight or fight response was still coursing through him.

"Urghh, you dumb bunny, I… -You okay?"

He looked up from the chair and saw Judy there, her hands raised peacefully.

"Not gonna bite," she joked.

Nick chuckled, his body buckling slightly. Standing up again, he turned to the bunny and joked back. "Give me a no geyser spiral promise and we're good."

"No nothing," she said, before shaking her head. Wiping her brow, she walked forwards. "Sorry about that, did I scare you or…?"

"Just a learned reflex," he said dismissively. " -shouldn't be too hard to un-learn or something."

Judy relaxed, but looked away. "Listen," she began, jumping up and down on her toes a little. Her voice was nervous, and it spoke out awkwardly just like Nick had when asking Skye about her history with Jack. "I hope you don't hold the past against me, and I want you to know that when I learned the truth I did speak up for you. I'm sorry for pursuing you for so long. It… it must have been rough." She looked up, and smiled. "But it's all good now, right?"

Nick paused, before shrugging. "You know, I'm in a forgiving mood today. Guess we can call it evens."

"Good to hear," she replied, her body flopping down slightly as she relaxed before she looked around. "I've still got fifteen minutes or so on my callout shift, but if you want to talk or do something, we can."

Thinking for a second or two, Nick shrugged. "You know, I think I better see if my Mum's okay. Given the state she's in after all this, I'm a bit worried she might Hulk or Roar out or something."

"Urghhhh," Judy shivered, closing her eyes. "Don't remind me."

"Sorry," Nick shrugged, before grabbing his food and making his way out. He passed Judy, who looked at him guiltily and began walking away, her ears drooping behind her as she thought over everything that had happened.

They shot up again though as Nick called out. "You know, I'll be practicing powers with Skye tomorrow. You can join… -if you like?"

Judy smiled, and turned back to face him. "If my shifting can allow it, sure!"

The fox gave a lazy salute back, before zipping off into the distance. The bunny meanwhile sat down and grabbed a tasty carrot and cucumber salad to eat on. As long as no criminals decided to act up in the next eighteen minutes or so, she should be fine.

Should…

Everything about the ZED seemed wrong though. Felt wrong… And though she understood why it had turned out that way, she just wished she could have her carrot cake and eat it too.

.

* * *

.

Later that evening Brittany settled down in Clawhauser's office. Skye was there, as was Judy. Finally, with a knock on the door, Bogo entered. "Hey," she said hopefully, pausing as Bogo stood there coldly. "You okay?"

He sighed, and a small smile grew on his face as he walked over and sat down on one of the larger chairs. Brittany felt more comfortable too, but she gritted her teeth as she saw him wince while settling down. "You should have tossed her away or something," she said.

Bogo shook his head. "It was fine."

"No, it wasn't. She attacked you, you should have defended yourself. Grabbed her tail and thrown her into a wall, or…"

She paused as a faint chuckle came from the large buffalo, before he shook his head. "I don't think the news would take kindly to me attacking an old lady."

"But it was self-defence," Brittany repeated.

Bogo sighed. "That could get lost in the media," he noted. "They're good at that. Besides, Wilde pretty much said that if I attacked or sued her, he wouldn't hold back on his charges either. Given what I'd put him through, that time I could turn the other cheek."

The young red fox vixen took it in and mulled over it, before relaxing. "I suppose so… Though I have no regrets defending you."

The cape buffalo smiled warmly. "Given that I'm not the commander anymore, I'm guessing I can say that it was very much appreciated."

"You're welcome," she said proudly. She thought for a few seconds, before her eyes widened. She looked to Bogo and Skye and back again, a hopeful look on her face as she spoke. "You two… you're not…"

"Brittany," Bogo said, huffing slightly. "Skye was right… If I should be mad at anyone, it should be myself."

"Really!?" she gasped.

"Really," he replied, smiling. "I even ordered the others to treat Skye as if nothing happened."

"That's great!" she said, a huge happy grin on her face. She felt so relieved at the news. "-And, given that you're not in any legal trouble, you'll still be able to hang about and help around here!"

A wave of cool dread rippled through Brittany as she saw Bogo's grin falter, and she leant forwards, worried.

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean yes and no?" she said, suddenly nervous again.

Bogo looked over at Ben and Skye, before sighing. "I'm currently employed as the chief advisor. My detection power is still critically useful, so the ZED are keeping me on as an assistor."

"Like me," Brittany said.

"More like McHorn," he interjected, "but we all fall under the same classification."

"So, what's the no for?"

The large cape buffalo looked down at his feet and spoke. "Just because Nick isn't going to press any charges, doesn't mean the city won't."

"But… -But if Nick's okay, who did you even hurt?"

Ben leant over and spoke. "Legally crimes don't have to be against an individual. They're rules designed to protect society, and they need to be enforced. It'll be the city-state of Zootopia charging him."

"But what would he even be in trouble for!"

"I'd guess that perverting the course of justice would be the big thing," Bogo said sullenly. "But it's up to the prosecutors to decide if they want to charge me. If Wilde doesn't… that may sway it. But they might want to make an example of me due to my high position, or be pressured into it given the… -ahem. The new political climate."

Brittany frowned distastefully at that before shaking it off. She might not become the new mayor in the end, but it seemed increasingly likely that she would. She looked up sadly at Bogo and stepped forwards, holding his hoof with her paw. "Hopefully they'll leave you alone," she said. "And if they don't, I promise you that'll I'll keep in touch. If they send you to jail or something, I'll visit! I'll try and visit every week, and if I can't make it I'll call, and I won't leave you alone! I promise! I won't leave you alone."

"… Thanks," Bogo replied, smiling warmly. He held up a hoof, and gently brushed away a tear that Brittany didn't release she'd let out, before smiling as she walked forwards and hugged his leg.

"You've gotten more huggy," Skye noted.

Brittany looked over at her and smirked. "My little sis helped teach me how good they are," she replied. "Speaking of which…" She let go of Bogo and walked over to Skye, embracing her. Skye hugged her back, and they held onto each other tight. "-I thought my big sis' would want one too."

" _Aaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww_!"

Both vixens turned towards Ben, whose paws were on his cheeks and mouth had opened into a perfect 'O'. Skye laughed.

"I haven't seen that one since you discovered Bogo's favourite app."

"How-did-you…!" Bogo shot out at her before pausing, a frown growing on his face. "-I forbid you to talk about that."

Skye paused, before smiling some more. "Wow, you're one hot dan-"

"STOP IT!"

…

"-Cer, commander Bogo!"

Brittany paused, her head tilting to the side. "Isn't that the…"

"-How was your holiday Brittany?" Bogo interrupted. The red fox vixen turned to him and paused, before smiling.

"Amazing," she said, a happy grin on her muzzle. "Everything's cleared up, everything's forgiven."

In that moment, Brittany saw Bogo looking happier that he'd ever been before. Pretty much the same could be said for Ben. "Wow. What happened?"

"I… -I found that I loved my little sister, and that my mother had always loved and cared about me… -getting pulled into all this by my father and his fears. It was easy to forgive her." She sighed before carrying on. "As for him… well, when learning about how much he'd been spooked I remembered what it was like when Jack attacked… -how I felt then. I immediately understood his experiences at that point, and it made it impossible not to forgive him." She chuckled a little. "It made it harder to forgive myself, if anything," she said, sighing.

Ben paused. "You still feeling that, or you good?"

"I'm good."

"She's great," Skye added, "aren't you?" She leant in and nudged Brittany, winking while giving two quick tongue clicks.

" _Aaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww_!"

"I'm afraid I sort of screwed it up, and we decided that we'd be better as just friends."

" _Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"_

Skye turned to Ben and frowned mirthfully at him. "You're almost as bad as enforcer Fanghanel, you know that?"

There was a fit of laughter from Bogo, and he shook his head. Looking up again, he turned to Brittany and smiled. "Well, I'm so happy you patched that up. Is there anything else you'd like to go over?"

She paused, before nodding. "Yes…" she said, unsure of herself.

"Go on."

"How… exactly… was the ZED academy formed?"

Bogo paused, before shrugging. "After the ZED was spun out from the military, it was decided that they were best placed to handle those who wanted formal training and those with power issues."

"So… how did they decide on the structure, and the rules?"

Ben spoke this time. "Many of the original ZED commanders, who weren't empowered at this point, were high level military. I believe they brought over staff from the military schools they came from and based it on that. Over time, as more empowered mammals were trained up, fewer non-empowered ones were involved."

"So… Military school. Kind of figures," Brittany noted.

"What do you mean?"

At this point Brittany turned to Bogo. "Apparently, early on in my stay, my parents wanted me home for a weekend. They asked about it and initially the staff opposed it."

"Until I got involved," Bogo noted. "Officially, the rules are that we look after the students full time. The idea is that they're potentially dangerous and need to be kept here for the public's safety as well as their own. Of course, while it's a general rule, whoever's in charge can easily overrule it. I always did if asked."

"But the rule is that once you're in, you can't go home," Brittany said, darkly.

"It's a hangover with a workaround," Bogo noted. "It tends to work fine…"

"Tends to," Brittany noted, before turning to Ben. "Don't you think it's odd that we're kept here full time? We're locked up here, away from our parents."

The cheetah paused, thinking for a second, before speaking. "I think I did a little bit, but I've been used to it for so long. Most of the students are older ones anyway… Why? What's the problem?"

"The problem is mammals like me," Brittany noted, sighing. "The accident… -the one that sent me here. That wasn't me losing control of my powers. I was in control and my dad scared me, and that made me drop the fire I'd decided to take home so it could be safely put out... -eight year old logic, don't judge. The only time I lost control of my powers was right after I'd aged out of the program." She looked over at Bogo and frowned. "Had I been told about that, I could have practiced and been fine."

The buffalo sighed, a guilty look on his face. "I don't deny that I punished you for Jack's sins. I'm sorry for that."

"It's okay… -Anyway, the real reason I was sent here was because I'd traumatised my father. But he got no help. My family got no help, even though they were homeless. And they were given two choices. All or nothing. Why does it have to be like that?"

"I…" Ben began. "You know, there's no reason at all."

Brittany nodded. "Why can't we offer things like power control courses, or summer camps instead. Or weekly boarding, or night classes. If a child has to come here full time, why not let the parents come too? There's tons of space out on parts of the campus. Even if it's putting some trailers down there, it can't be that hard? Maybe offer the parents jobs too. And, if they're scared of their children's powers, therapy or something?"

Skye walked forwards and nodded. "I was an academy kit like you," she said, the younger vixen's eyes widening as she said it. "But my father also worked as an enforcer. I got the best of both worlds and I think you're right. Others should too."

"We can reach more kits as well with those other ideas," Ben noted. "I'm happy to work with you on this."

Brittany turned to Bogo, who smiled. "I'm the most guilty here of sticking to the old ways as I'm used to them," he said. "But if I was still in charge, I'd let you two look into it and make a proposal. You'll have to go through Fangmeyer now." He paused, shifting his weight as he thought. "She's an excellent enforcer and commander, though her mammal skills aren't as good." He looked over to Ben and chuckled. "If I could, I'd make you commander too, along with her."

The bombshell has been more than he expected. "Me!?"

"Yes, you. What I think she lacks, you more than have." He chuckled, before shaking his head. "Maybe joint commanders was another thing I should have allowed when I could," he mumbled, before looking down at Brittany. "I know that you got a raw deal. But I'm proud of you wanting to fix that," he said. Her ears perked up and her tail wagged slightly in response, Bogo noticing it and his mouth twinging slightly as a result. He looked over at Ben, and back at her, and nodded. "Work together and plan some changes, and I'll be happy to support it."

Brittany's arm shot into a quick salute. "Yes, sir!"

Bogo paused as his phone suddenly rang. He pulled it up and listened in before turning to Brittany. "Though not right now?"

"Why not?" she asked, confused.

"I've just got a report of a bad fire at a paint factory out at the docks. The firefighters are worried about it getting worse and would like you to assist."

Brittany shot up and nodded. "I'll get changed right away."

"And I'll call Karen. She's still working on your new wand, but she can have the old one waiting in the control centre."

"Sounds good," she said, turning around and sprinting out. "Duty calls!"

She left the room, slamming the door behind her and leaving the three other adults inside. She didn't notice the proud looks on all of their faces.

…

"I still remember when she was a little Kit," Ben cooed.

"She still is, in a way," Skye said softly. She paused though, and turned to Bogo. "When she defended you from Nick's mother, did you hear that she compared you to a father…?"

Bogo looked at her and nodded. "I did. I also read Clawhauser's reports on her from every four months." He sighed, before carrying on. "When her parents started to not visit, I knew and called them. Nudging them, then bluntly telling them that she missed them."

"Didn't you follow it up?" Skye asked.

Bogo shook his head. "Not my duty… -not much I could do to force them... -and when the reports started to talk about her substituting us for her family, I knew that she was looking up at me as a father figure."

"And…?"

Bogo frowned. "Did you expect me to actively try and replace her real father? I tried to get him to go, and when I learned about what his _responsibilities_ actually were I got very verbal. But I couldn't force him to do anything, just shout at him to mammal up. Anyway, it was inappropriate to be that kind of figure, so I tried to nudge it much more towards a teacher and student relationship." He paused and sighed, his head falling into his waiting hooves, which then began to massage his temples. "Anyway, even though I did feel that kind of affection towards her, I was NOT going to repeat what had happened with Jack."

Skye looked on and nodded. "I understand…" she said. "But you can't change how she feels."

"No," Bogo sighed, huffing. "All I could do was be there and disappoint her. Just look at me now..."

There was a soft paw on his back, though he ignored it. It got harder to ignore when it, and its partner, reached forwards and pulled his mouth into a grin. "There-there Yumba," Ben cooed softly, smiling as the ex-commander huffed. "Let's get you some nice hot coco, and turn that frown upside down."

Standing up, the frown remained stubbornly the right way up.

"Besides, now that things are patched up with her family, and you're no longer the commander, you can stop doing that, can't you?"

…

That did it.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14.**

 **.**

 **.**

To the northwest of the city of Zootopia, in the heavy forests of the timberlands district, two rhinos stood at a small sandy beach. In front of them lay a shimmering stretch of water, a long ribbon that stretched from miles up north, past them, and right down to the edges of the sea. There it was held in by the Grand Kula Dam, the foundation of the city's prosperity given that it powered it, its world famous climate systems, and a good chunk of the rest of the continent for good measure. Even without the power produced, countless ships used the great locks and ship lifts to bypass the former Zootopia rapids, allowing commerce to flow from half of the continent into the ocean and vice versa.

Which led back to the two Rhino's standing at a beach, fishing rods in hooves.

…

"Hey, Eric," one said, his voice hoarse and with an accent similar to that of the old gun-keeping farmer from Hot Furs (though his speech was perfectly comprehensible).

"Yes Biff," the other replied, his voice smooth but otherwise the same.

"Is that the Terry Tugson Junior sailing out there?" he asked, pointing to a great freighter slowly making its way down.

"No. I don't think so," the other replied, scratching his horn with his free hand. "It looks like the Haverholt Halcyon, don't yer think?"

"Naaaah…. It doesn't have the silver or gold funnel! Nor the otter crest of Haverholt."

"Well, I heard that they painted it over, you see," Eric whispered, stepping towards his companion. "Painted it just like tha'."

"Yeah right, they would," his companion scoffed. "This is like that time you swore you saw the Arthur M. Antlerson!"

"I did see the Arthur M. Antlerson," the other replied. "And she was going at a hell of a speed."

"How fast?"

"A lot faster than the Haverholt Halcyon, I tell you."

"Pah," the other noted, pointed back to the freighter. "The Terry Tugson Junior is pushing the speed limit as it is. If it's scaring mi' fishes away, then… Grrrrr…."

"Might scare some our way, mind you."

"Urgghhh, I hope so! I haven't caught a good barbal in months!" Biff exclaimed, shivering slightly. He paused, looking down the river and squinting. "And what's that?"

Eric looked and shrugged. "Looks like the Hustler to me."

"Nah, it isn't!"

…

 _ZWOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

.

"You know what Biff?"

"Can I say I thought that was the Hustler too?"

"He was going a hell of a lot over the speed limit!"

"Yarp! That too. That too…."

.

.

.

…

"Biff?"

"Yarp."

"… Why are we fishing when we can't eat fish…"

The two rhinos looked at each other and Eric paused, before shaking it off. He pulled his line in and cast it back out into the water. "I guess that's just one of the great mysteries of life."

"Yarp."

.

.

.

Further down the river, a red figure raced along the water top, a fountain of spray coming out behind him. For Nick it was just a quick jog, but, however many times he did it, it always felt good to get some exercise. It made him feel young and free and happy. The great expanse of the reservoir was even better, being the perfect test bed for him to cruise along. Bar the odd ship, one of which he was doing laps around now for a bit of fun, there was nothing to get in the way. It was just him and his speed.

 _Zwwwwooooooooosssssssshhhhhhh….._

A cream blur raced past him the other way, and he almost faltered as he was hit with a spray of foamy mist. At this speed the little drops hurt, but he shook it off and smiled, turning around in a sweeping arc of a curve as he pushed harder with his legs. The spray behind him got larger and he sped up, spotting the cream figure in front of him and honing in.

Faster and faster.

He saw an opening in her spray and gunned it, zipping through so he was level with her. He then slowed down to what felt like a leisurely slow jog and smiled as he came in close to meet up.

"How you holding up?"

"I'm good!" Skye shouted back, before turning forwards, a happy smile on her face. She wavered and snaked a little, having fun as she cruised across the water. Nick could tell that she was testing the limits a bit, edging herself to where the push of the surface was almost at a dodgy angle or there was almost a slip. It was nothing compared to what he could do, but he knew the game well. Cast yourself on the edge of what you knew you could do, feel the tingle of excitement as you wavered near it, but enjoy the experience as you never tipped over. He pushed his legs out to the side here and there, almost tipping over but swinging his legs around to the other side before he went, playing with fire. But he knew how to, keeping himself safe and loving every second of it. He carried on forwards with Skye and, together, the pair circled around a few freighters, one of which honked its horn at them.

"Honk yourself!" Nick shouted, before shaking his head. "Lucky guy…. I want to do a honk honk!"

Skye, cruising to his side, smiled at him. "I'd never thought you'd say anything like that!"

Nick shrugged. "I'm a mammal of many talents."

"As am I," Skye boasted, before folding her ears down and leaning forwards. "Let's see how fast I can go."

She blasted off, Nick quickly following her. Together they raced forwards, getting so fast the wind in their ears was deafening and they struggled to see through their eyes. Skye was fast, but, as Nick's legs began to burn just a little, she faltered and then trailed off behind him. Nick stopped flooring it and fell back with her.

"That your limit?" he asked as she slowed down.

"On land or water, yes," she shouted back.

"Not bad for a beginner."

She smiled. "Thanks. Anyway, looks like we're out of track."

Nick looked ahead and saw the long top of the dam up ahead. He slowed down as much as he could while still running on the water, before tilting off towards one of the banks. Coming in parallel to it, he hit the sand and slowed down quickly to a stop. He looked around, before flinching backwards as Skye appeared above him.

"Show off."

Skye paused, her head tilting to the side. "Jealous."

"Am I maybe a little jealous?" Nick asked out loud. He tapped his fingers along the side of his muzzle as he thought. "Maybe."

Skye rolled her eyes, before looking around. She sighed as she dropped back to the ground. "It's a shame Judy's on shift right now."

"Yeah…" Nick noted.

Skye smirked. "She'd be jealous of both of us! Either that or she and I would just have a flying competition. Probably that… You'd just be even more jealous then."

Nick snorted. "Flying's overrated," he said, waving his paw at her.

Her eyes narrowed deviously, and she went over to him, putting her arms around his waist. "You sure about that?" she asked quietly, her voice a seduction hush that pushed itself forwards.

"I…" he began, before yipping slightly as he felt himself get lifted off the ground. "I, uh… Hey…" He smiled happily, before looking behind him at Skye. "There may be a tiny chance I'm wrong."

"Well," Skye grunted, as she dropped down back to the ground and put him down. "There's a big chance I can't hold you up like that for long. If you get on my back though…"

"Uh…." Nick began, before shrugging. He went around and hopped on, and Skye took off, making sure her body was horizontal.

"This'll work…"

"Fair enough, so wha… -WHOAAAAAAAA!" he cried, as she flew forwards across the water before pulling up. He gripped on tightly, a look of fear on his face, but it soon turned to a wide grin of joy as they cruised above the land. He looked around and could see everything. The dam, the reservoir, the overflow falls with the closed down Cliffside prison, the city's old home for dangerous empowered mammals, perched above them. There were the forests and the meadows too, and all the houses, stretching over into the great city beyond. They soared through the air, basking and sweeping, sometimes pushing through a great fluffy cloud. Nick laughed through all of it. "THIS IS AWESOME!"

"Think flying is overrated?" Skye asked.

"Nope!"

He laughed like a kit as she did some quick waggles, making him shift from side to side, before going up and over in a cobra turn, falling back to the ground.

"WOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She pulled out of it, and together they cruised just above the water's edge, the tips of her foot claws pricking the peaks of the small waves and eddies, toying with in. Finally coming to a stop by a small quay, Nick got off of her and sunk to his knees, panting. "Okay," he said, paw up. "That was cool. Flying is awesome." He grinned, and Skye grinned back. They had returned to where they had started that day, and some of their stuff was lying on the ground by them. Skye looked at them and stepped forwards.

"Hold on a second," she said, Nick looking curiously as she went to one of the bags. She brought out a strange helmet, which had a giant glass cone pointing up sharply, and fitted it to her head. A few clips came down, and she locked both her head and the helmet in place. Stuck in that position and immovable, something a good few tugs with her arms proved. Nick looked on curiously as she jogged out past him. "Karen says that this should work. And if it works, it should be super cool."

"And if it doesn't work?" Nick asked.

Skye paused. "Somewhere on a scale between 'oh well' and 'ouch'."

"Let's hope for a number one then," Nick replied, still at a loss to what she was actually planning as she shot out across the water. He watched her turn on the lake, a great fan of spray behind her, before she raced up stream. He watched her accelerate and then take off, getting faster ever as she pulled up and sailed straight up into the air.

…

"Okay…" Nick muttered slowly, walking backwards towards a concrete shack and sitting down. Everything was quiet and normal now, and he paused as he saw a piece of graffiti. It was of a few mammals, most of them with some kind of power clearly showing, trampling over a bunch of others who were lying on the floor. There was even a house that had been turned upside down and broken, and the mammal on top of it was saying 'my bad!'.

He frowned, before shaking his head. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't the most responsible with his powers. Heck, the concept even gave him a little chuckle. A lot of the time during his 'exile' he'd just done things for fun or laughs or survival, though he was trying to break the habit now. So far so good. The day he'd discovered his powers had involved quite a bit of damage being caused as well, though he shook the thought off. Those guys deserved it…

He wondered if they were still salty or something. To be fair, he didn't want to know. He didn't even know what they'd really be planning, and that was fine with him. Then again, maybe they'd turned their hatred against empowered mammals. Might they be happy with the potential new mayor when she took office? He'd sort of kept up with politics while on the run, it being very easy to grab a paper and read through. From what he gathered, she was quite critical of empowered mammals, and it was a rather good thing that he'd got his pardon just in time. The only other candidate in the race was far behind her, so it seemed like she would win. Fortunately, now that he was pardoned, if she didn't like him then that Dawn Bellwether mammal wouldn't really have much of a chance to do anything bad.

A little flick of wind cut off his musings and, turning back to the water, he scanned around, looking for Skye. He wondered what it had been like for her, discovering her powers. Then again, it wasn't like they could cause much damage. Carrots was much more likely to have caused that, maybe giving a foot tap one day and breaking through some floors of her house. The imagine of hundreds of bunnies getting knocked about like Ping-Pong balls, bouncing about with bowling pin sound effects, filled Nick's mind and he chuckled. He knew it was a bit speciesist, Judy likely coming from a bog-standard family with two or three kits. He wondered what she was up to now. In a way, he kind of wished that she was here, today. It could be fun to play with their powers knowing that his freedom wasn't on the line. Maybe get used to her in a civilian sense. She did seem fun.

He glanced sideways and paused.

He could see Skye, and she was falling. Faster and faster, piercing straight down in a dive. There were even little wisps of cloud flicking from her new helmet, which was pointed out dead in front of her. She pulled up and level and began blasting towards him, getting larger and larger and larger as she closed in. She was going very fast, and he could definitely see the air buckling as she cut through it. She was far out, but seconds away, and Nick couldn't help but think that there was no sound coming from her as she blasted past him and… ' _ **BOOOOOMMMMMM'**_

Nick flinched back, covering his suddenly ringing ears as a shockwave hit him. It was only a light gust if anything, but it came with the sound of an explosion and had a whole lot of force behind it. Opening his eyes, he saw Skye pull up and fly up again, slowing down as she let gravity act as a brake. There was the chatter of some mammals behind him, one angry one talking about empowered mammals showing off without caring about anyone else, ' _as usual'_ , but he paid it no mind.

The cogs in his head were turning, and he pointed up and down as he thought through what he'd just seen and heard.

…

"No way…"

He shook his head but came back to it again. A part of him was madly jealous at what he'd just seen, given that he'd definitely lost his title as the definitive king of speed… (Though he still had land speed, and water speed). But most of him. Well….

"YEEEHAAAA!" He cried, his arms up and cheering at Skye, even though she almost certainly couldn't hear him.

.

.

Up in the air, Skye felt the brutal slam of the wind die off as she rose. She wasn't using her powers, instead letting gravity kill her speed. Her paws fumbling, she undid the cone helmet that had let her get so fast, pulling it off and letting it fall back onto a safety strap the connected it to her back.

The wind felt good on her fur.

The helmet had been cutting into her and, during her stoop, every single part of her ached. But it was over now, and she could bask in her victory. It hadn't just been Nick's speed powers that had let her race past the elusive seven hundred and sixty-seven miles per hour. His healing powers had let her endure it too and now, thanks to them, she didn't feel anything wrong with her at all.

She was almost at a stop, and she held her arms out wide like a spread eagle as gravity began pulling her back down. She leant backwards and flowed into her new dive gracefully, watching the sky turn around her before the city below revealed itself in all its glory. Letting her powers kick in, she sailed gently through the white mist of a cloud, the whole world covered up by its white veil, before returning to the open air once more. She looked down to see Nick, but couldn't…

She could see something else though.

Something that most definitely wasn't right.

She dove down head first, and began returning to terra-firma much faster than planned.

.

Nick idled by the shore, looking around, before pausing as he saw something. Over by the reservoir overflow, water currently pouring down it, he saw a strange set of shapes moving towards the island in the middle of the falls. They passed by the safety barriers like it was nothing and kept on going.

His legs shifted into position…

The muscles began to tighten, and the flickering lightning of his power began to spark in the tendons of his legs.

They kept on their course, travelling very fast towards the island and the abandoned prison.

Nick charged forwards. Almost immediately he felt the blast of wind and the flicker of spray on his face, and it only increase as he leant forwards and kicked faster. Racing across the water, he spotted what looked like a sheep and a weasel get off onto the shore. A strange flicker of white shot out of the former, and the latter climbed it before vanishing. The sheep then fired out strange white tentacles and began climbing the wall, fast. He or she smashed a window and went in, followed by some rodent that was riding a drone.

That just left one. A grey figure that was clad in a combat suit, similar to those used by the ZED. Nick's eyes narrowed, and despite his natural cynicism he locked on and approached, ready to have a little chat.

The mammal saw him and stepped into the water, before vanishing.

…

" _Huh…"_

Nick's confusion was cut short as he felt his legs trip out from under him, sending him flying. Blue and white and blue-green tumbled around him and, in a split second, he realised that he was about to hit the water, before he did. He smashed into it, the cold blasting into him like a freight train, his entire body screaming. Eyes closed and water all around, he had no idea what was going on. Cold. Blind. Lost…

The water whipping past him slowed, and he managed to open his eyes and see the sunlight up above. His lungs were screaming, most of the air knocked out of them by the impact, but he struggled and kicked and fought and made his way up. Breaking the surface, he gasped in a precious breath of air before coughing violently, clearing his lungs of water. He looked around and managed to note the large waterfall approaching up ahead.

"Yes…" he grunted. "Very cliché, thank you!" Looking over, he spotted the shape that had attacked him. The very wet and miserable looking face of a wildcat was sticking out of the water, shaking around as if he'd been dazed. He noticed Nick though and put his arm up as if trying to signal.

Nick frowned and with one middle finger sent a signal of his own.

The wildcat smiled eagerly, before vanishing into the water once more.

"Nope!" Nick kicked out, a blast of spray behind him, before he felt a grip on his heel as he was pulled back into the water. Just like before it was a slap on the face, and he kicked and groaned as he struggled to get his bearings. Eyes open, the world blurred from the water, he paused as he saw another struggling figure.

The wildcat…

He was far smaller than Nick, and that meant that taking on a speedster like him was likely to get him thrown about. Pulling his arms into a breaststroke and kicking out with his legs, the fox blasted forwards in a maelstrom of his own making, right towards the other mammal just as he recovered.

There was a start of a blur as he got his bearings and took off, but Nick's arm was faster, grabbing onto a leg and holding on tight as they sped forwards. The cut of the water against his face was intense, straining it and beating it like putty. Throughout the agony, the fox held on. The wildcat twisted and turned and tried to shake him loose, but all that got him was a second arm on a second leg. That became one arm, then two, on his torso, as Nick fought back. Kicking with his super speed legs, he began to bend and twist his prey's route, though he wasn't strong enough to combat his swimming power. He got an arm around the small feline's shoulder and pulled himself around.

They were belly to belly.

' _Ooooooooohhhhh_ '

And he got a chest full of foot scratches to match, the wildcat kicking and clawing, trying to make Nick let go. His healing could easily combat it, but it was making him angry. He brought his knee up and paused, thinking about how he was going to do this. A few normal sized kicks in the belly and groin should take him out of action. Shouldn't they?

He never got to answer that, as he felt himself blasted out of the water, and then pulled back down.

He hit the water hard.

It crashed around him, a gagging bucket full racing down into his stomach and lungs, before he felt the air again.

Another crash.

Then another.

Pushing with one leg he managed to flip himself, and suddenly it was him in the water and the cat out. A powerful pull twisted him back under, before he felt himself get pulled down fast.

SMASH…

He hit something hard, his eyes opening as he saw nothing.

Blackness.

His only sense was the cold feel of rock and mud beneath him, and the crushing pressure of the water around him.

His legs touched solid ground.

He pushed….

Water blasted around him, and he felt the cat tear from his grip as the world got lighter. He hit the surface and flew through the air, his limbs flailing about, before he hit the water again and floated there.

Coughing.

Kicking.

Looking around, not sure when this mammal would be back. He kicked his legs again and pushed himself out of the lake, finally running on water once more. Taking off at a tangent, zigging and zagging as he looked about, he scanned this way and that, not sure where the attacker was or what he…

"AH!" he yelled, leaping as the water erupted where he would have been. He'd noticed a dark streak beneath the surface, curving to confront him, and had taken evasive manoeuvres. "What are you," he hissed, trying to think while shaking and dodging. He saw the blur approach again and turned, giving a short burst of speed to outrun it. "You're slower but more manoeuvrable," he noted, speeding away even faster. He frowned as there was a blast of water, the blur shooting out at him. He turned sharply, narrowly missing it again. "-Except when doing that… Super swimmer?" he pondered. "Water controller?" He changed direction again, racing back towards the asylum as he felt the attacker brush past his legs. "Too close… -How do I…?" He trailed off, before putting on the fastest burst of speed he could. The world shot past him, and his legs screamed as he began to brake. A quick jump was needed, but he hit the solid ground of the beach and slowed to a stop, looking out at the serene looking lake behind him.

A grey face popped out of the water, and Nick smirked.

"Only powered in the water I see?" he shouted.

"Yeah!" the wildcat grovelled, pausing to sneeze pitifully. He looked up to speak again, only to repeat the action even louder. Finally, he managed to say something. "But you've got to get me!"

"…How about no."

The wildcat paused, before laughing. "Oh Jeeze! Are the ZED really that pathetic? No wonder you guys asked for our help. See ya' later, losers!"

His head dipped down and he shot back into the water, leaving Nick alone.

"…And this is the part where I mind my own business," he said, dusting his paws and beginning to turn away.

Beginning…

He paused, frowning as he turned back to face the old cliffside facility. Paws on hips, he shook his head. "No you idiot! You've finally gotten out of trouble…"

…

"What do you even want with a closed down jail anyway!" he yelled, pointing towards the fortress like building. He held up a paw to his brow and shook his head. "Besides," he said, shrugging. "Didn't they have nasty power dampening fields in there or something back in the day! You are not going to risk your powers, Wilde! I'm going to leave here right now, and let the ZED deal with these guys as that's their job…"

…

"Aaaaarghhhh! Who am I kidding," he half groaned, half screamed, yanking his ears down.

"I don't know."

He flinched, looking around to see Skye landing next to him. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good, you. Bad guys just attacked over there. They have a super swimmer cat in the water. Your job to solve this. I'll stand here and cheer."

Skye paused, her head tilting as she looked at him. Nick frowned back in response.

"Given that I'm a free mammal now, maybe I don't want to get in trouble for dealing with the ZED's mistakes? Again…"

Whatever Skye was about to say was cut off as a familiar sound filled the air.

' _Kha-Chaaa… Kha-Chaaa… Kha-Chaaa… Kha-Chaaa…'_

Both foxes turned to see Judy land next to them, wiping her brow as she did so.

"Bad guys," Nick said, pointing over to the asylum. "Over there…"

…

"I didn't do anything!"

Judy relaxed, before turning to Skye. "Code seven."

Her eyes widened. "Code seven?"

"Code seven," Judy nodded, a grin growing on her face.

"…Yes, a good old code seven… I totally know what that means."

Judy smiled as she pulled out an earpiece and threw it to Skye, before turning to Nick. "After Jack's attacked, Bogo wanted to put in a lot more training. Especially around using our powers together," she explained. "The United Mammal States and their power force were more than happy to help out and give us some tests."

"Tests?" Nick asked, getting ever more worried about the ever-growing smile on Judy's face.

"War games," Skye explained, taking flight. "Capture the flag!"

"And…" Judy began, pulling out an earpiece. "I can deputise you for today if you want…."

She flinched down right as she said that, holding her earpiece hard. Nick looked to Skye, who giggled. "Seems like Fangmeyer really doesn't like that idea," she noted.

"No," Judy groaned, the yelling so loud that Nick could hear it. He paused though, thinking it all over.

"So, KrissyKat doesn't like the whole, 'I help out for the day' idea?" he asked, tapping his feet.

"No, she…"

"-I'm in," he chirped, immediately throwing the earpiece he was given over his shoulder and into the water. "Where to, Carrots?"

.

.

.

Back in the ZED control room a red and black paw slowly pulled itself down a tiger's face as she groaned. Watching the screen up above her, she saw Judy look up at the two foxes and set off. She groaned again, before turning back to a report that had come in from Bogo. Opening up the microphone, she spoke out. "We have three empowered agents, and one non-empowered. Mitch Dewclaw. Scottish Wildcat. Able to travel through water at high speeds and manipulate water flows. Has special forces training. ' _Wessly Wiggler_ '…." There was a soft groan, before she continued. "Weasel. Able to travel through gaps as small as one tenth of a millimetre. Limited to some degree on what he can take with him. Maisy Calrama. Sheep. Able to control and manipulate her wool…" There was another pause, and a hissed cursed word, before the commander rounded it off. 'Tattletail'. Watervole. Non-empowered, but considered highly capable and dangerous. If you're going to beat one of them, make it this one please. Understood?"

"Affirmative," Judy called back.

Fangmeyer nodded, before looking down to her side. Brittany was sat there, her eyes closed. "Voxen. Status update?"

"Wolford… Wolford just lost to the sheep and vole," she stated.

"Effective death?"

A radio called in as she finished speaking, answering for her. "The vole came out behind me and capped me while I was engaging the sheep."

The fur on Fangmeyer's neck bristled up, and she held the radio up to her mouth. "Reason for failure?"

"It was two vs one commander!" came a sigh. "The sheep was hiding, and I couldn't get a shot on her. She used her wool to thrown non-metallic stuff from around a corner, and her friend flanked me. Where's the backup?!"

"Outside," she hissed, before looking up at the screen. "Hopps, Autumn, they'll try and flank you. Have Hopps go on the offense and Autumn guarding the rear as she can take a hit. Keep Wilde out of the way unless you need someone to hold a door open or something. Voxen will keep track of everything. Over."

"Over," they replied, as they charged in for battle.

Fangmeyer frowned impatiently, checking various other files. Other flag sites had enforcers guarding them, and with her as acting commander they had all their fast response enforcers engaged. She quickly changed her radio channel and spoke out. "ETA of transport?" she asked.

"Chopper one has a fault, over," came a reply, a look of fury flashing on the tiger's face. "Chopper two should be up and running soon. ETA at site, fifteen minutes."

"Make it ten," she said sharply, before almost slamming the receiver down. She grabbed her head hard and winced, before turning down to Brittany. "Can you scan and fly at the same time?"

She paused, her eyes opening. "I… -no, I don't think. Why?"

"With Wolford down and our reinforcement issues, I'd like you to reinforce the troops."

She couldn't help but notice the sudden look of both fear and refusal on the vixen's face.

.

.

* * *

 **.**

 **AN: This was originally the first half of a monster 14,500 word chapter. I wanted to give you all a great big slice of empowered battling, and had I kept the chapters whole it would have been my largest chapter ever. However, I could also tell that this was a good place to split it up so I eventually chose to do so. I promise you guys a lot of fun in the next chapter, and together these ones were great fun to write. From obscure references, a proper slug-fest battle (a type I've always loved since the 'Rogue titan vs Armoured Titan' battle in attack on titan season 2) and** **a few little scenes repurposed from a 'Take a Stand' spinoff idea I had (the sonic boom and Skye sailing up in the air before turning over and falling back down),** **this whole thing was writing wish fulfilment on my behalf.**

 **And that, by no means, stops in the next chapter.**


	16. Chapter 15

**AN: After some critical feedback from a reviewer, I chose to change a tiny scene in this chapter. I'll save the original in an authors notes in the bottom for those curious.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 15**

.

The previous clamour of the operations room seemed to die down, the only sound being that of Bogo's chair as he began to stand up. He paused, halfway there, ready to both sit back down and leap into action. His eyes were focussed on Brittany, whose own were wide and trembling, her ears folding down onto the back of her skull.

"What do you mean, reinforce the troops?" she asked, her voice carrying a slight tremble to it.

"Help out on the front," Fangmeyer said with a shrug. "What part of that don't you understand?"

The vixen stood up and shivered, looking away as she did so while specs of ice grew over her fur. "I don't know," she muttered, before turning to stare back, a glow of anger in her eyes and a small wave of heat glowing from her. "The part about why you're sending an assistor into a fight?"

"To assist," the tiger deadpanned back, before frowning.

Brittany breathed in and out and looked up at her. "I… -I can't do that! I can't! You were there when Jack attacked, weren't you!?"

"Yes."

"So, you know what happened!" Brittany said, an icy tear in the corner of her eye. "I… -I can't go through that again. I can't! That's why I'm not an enforcer! I'm an assistor!"

Fangmeyer sighed, pausing as she spotted Bogo stepping up fully and walking towards her. She held her paw up, stopping him, before turning back to Brittany. "This is a training mission. No-one is going to try and kill you. You might get a swat at your heart by some fluffy wool, or a pop-gun to the head, but you're not going through anything as bad as Jack. I promise you."

Brittany looked on, still unconvinced. "But I won't be there for this in the future. I'm an assistor! That's what I signed up for!"

Fangmeyer frowned, pausing as she heard a request come through her earpiece. "Where are the attackers now?"

Brittany paused and closed her eyes again. "The sheep is in the room beneath the entrance lobby. The two smaller ones are in the vents, looks like they're exploring. I don't know where the fourth one is, I… -hang on." She opened her eyes and closed them again, smiling slightly. "I can see the cold water his speed swimming kicked up with my cold vision. He's hanging back at the moment."

"Did you get that?" the commander asked, nodding her head with the response. She winced immediately after though, and looked back at Brittany. "If you join the army as a cook, you'll still be expected to fight when needed. Like with Jack, it might be the deciding factor, so I believe it's worth practicing your skills. You are in no risk. You will assist. That is an order."

The small vixen looked up at the large tiger and trembled, before looking down at her paws. "What do you want me to do?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "These are good guys. I can't use fire against them! What if I burn them! What if I-"

"If you feel unable to use your powers against mammals, so be it," Fangmeyer interrupted, stepping forwards. Brittany wilted back in her presence and gulped. "I am giving you a direct order to go there. You will follow orders and assist the best you can, even if it's just in non-combat support. Do you understand!?"

There was a tremble, as Brittany nodded her head. A firm looked came over her face and, steadying herself, she spoke out strongly. "Yes…"

"That's yes, commander" Fangmeyer noted. She looked down at Brittany's mark 3 and spoke up. "Can you heat scan and fly at the same time?"

"No."

"Right," she muttered, checking her radio again. "Choppers?"

" _Still having issues_ …"

"Right then," Fangmeyer noted, as she turned to Bogo. "You take over for now, I'll be back in ten." She walked forwards fast, grabbing Brittany as she past her.

"Woah!"

"Grab onto me."

"What!?"

"Grab onto me," the tiger repeated, as they stepped into the lobby, making their way towards the exit. Brittany meekly did so, holding onto both her and her mark 3 as tight as possible.

"What are you planning?"

"I may not be able to take part, but I can help," the tiger said. "Those pilots say it'll take fifteen minutes to reinforce the front, I'll do it in five. Hold on!"

Brittany did so as they stepped outside, before Fangmeyer launched the pair into the sky, the two of them racing towards the ongoing battle.

.

* * *

.

The trio burst into the lobby of the old jail, Nick and Skye shooting in and ducking into position and Judy shockwave-flying in afterwards, landing onto the old desk and perching there.

Her ears were up…

She scanned around with them, her hands signalling down to her two helpers.

They honed in on a wall, and Judy frowned. "Rattling," she whispered.

"Don't tell me they're in the vents," Nick groaned.

Skye looked around before pausing, holding her finger up to hear earpiece. She nodded, before whispering out. "Brittany says that she can see the weasel sneaking about in the vents, searching for stuff. Same for the water vole."

"And the sheep?"

Skye paused again, before shaking her head. "Right below us," she said, pausing as her head cocked, more info coming from her earpiece. "Affirmative," she noted, before she looked up and her eyes widened. "JUDY!"

The bunny screamed as a white tendril snared around her leg and began pulling her down, before a sudden downwards kick blasted it away. She shot across the lobby, Nick barely managing to catch her, and she watched as the last of the white coil pulled itself down into one of the vents.

She gulped and reached down to her chest, slowly pulling away the wool coil still left there and throwing it away.

"Well," Skye noted, "we now know that she can only control wool connected to her."

The trio looked at each other and nodded, as they slowly walked about and tried to think about what to do next.

.

.

"You can let me down Nick…"

"-Right, sorry," he said, dropping the bunny onto the desk in the middle of the room. Skye joined them there and, under Judy's instructions, they went back to back. Together, they looked around, before Nick spoke.

"How does this whole war game thing work?" he asked, curiously.

"A committee chose six sites, and said that a task force would try to steal a flag from one of them some time this week," Skye explained. "We have to stop them. It's designed to test our fast response and teamwork abilities, preparing us for surprise attacks."

"While we put an enforcer guard in each place, our lives and duties went on as normal in the meantime," Judy added. "That's the whole point of it."

The red fox tod nodded in agreement. "And one of those sites was this place."

"Yup."

"Couldn't they turn the fields on?" Nick asked, Judy pausing as she looked up to him.

"Fields?"

"Prisons like these tend to have power dampening fields, don't they?" the red fox asked, looking around nervously. "Putting a bit of electricity through a meteor fragment or something, disrupts the powers or…"

"It was all removed years ago," Judy said, noticing Nick sigh with relief. "Given how crazily expensive and controlled those are, made sense to do it when the new facility opened."

"Besides," Skye added, "Bar that vole, depowering us would mess them up just as much."

He nodded, and they carried on their nervous visage, each of their tails up against the others as they wandered about, their guard always up.

.

…

 _Clunk…_

"Over there!" Judy pointed towards a dimly lit corner where the clang had come from. She paused, her ears up, as she heard a faint sound.

…

Alongside her heartbeat, that was.

…

It rolled on…

…

Quieter, but closer…

…

Flickering and changing…

…

A coin rolled out of the darkness, before getting caught on a piece of old newspaper and falling onto its side.

The three sighed with relief, before jolting upright again as the sound of a creaking groan rolled through the-

 _KA-CHUM!_

 _ **CRASH…**_

A cloud of dust erupted out from where Judy had fired off her kick, leaving nothing but a shattered doorway.

There was an eerie creak as one of the hinges rolled back and forth…

Back and forth….

.

Back and forth…

.

Taking a breath to steady herself, Judy look around and gave a little chuckle. "My bad!" she noted, before she pressed onto her earpiece. "Status report on targets?"

She flinched slightly as she heard Bogo speaking back. "Unknown. Reinforcements delayed. Kristen is personally bringing Brittany out to give support."

Judy paused. "But I thought…"

"She's the commander now, it's her call," Bogo said, a hint of disapproval in his voice. "Patching you all through now."

Judy nodding, before flinching at the white noise coming in from the radio. "Target status?"

"Unchanged!" came the garbled but recognisable voice of Brittany. "-Hold on!"

"What?"

"The vole is making a run for it! His drone has just left the building, and he might have the flag!"

"I'll get him!" Skye announced, before jumping and flying straight out of the room, leaving a cloud of dust and papers in her wake. Both Nick and Judy flinched back from it, before the bunny winced.

"OW!"

"Something in your eye?" Nick asked, bending down to her and pausing as he saw her rub her side.

"No, I…"

"OW!" Nick cried, a sudden jolt of pain coming from his side. He looked towards it, his eyes narrowing as he saw a small cloud of dust settle back down.

"AH!" Judy jolted up, jumping right into Nick. The fox caught her, before the two pairs of eyes narrowed on a bit of rubble that had suddenly appeared, rattling across the desk.

"Are you thinking what I'm thi-OUCH!"

"I thin- EE!"

"OOH!"

"AH"

"HEY!"

"ARGHH!"

"YIP!"

"EEEE!"

"NEW PLAN!"

Before Judy could say anything, she felt herself get yanked down behind the desk. Her whole world was blurry and every part of her hurt. She felt a bit sick, and couldn't help but think about the time when she was young when she'd fallen out of a tree.

"That should give us cover," Nick commented, peeking up over the top of the desk as another chunk of rock was tossed their way." He turned back down and paused, his ears folding back as he noticed the look on Judy's face. "Oh no! No-no-no-No-NO!"

He pulled down to hold Judy some more, before flinching back. "I… -my speed. I forget, I… -please don't be mad." He gushed out, his concerned look only cutting out when a bit of rock clipped him on his head.

Judy, still a bit tipsy, wandered over to him and held him for support. Nick, looking around nervously, slowly leant in and put his paw on the back of her head, holding her ears to it. She slowly looked up and shook her head. "No worries," she said, still sounding a bit unsure. "Just… -don't do it again…" Nick nodded, before sighing with relief. He watched on as Judy slowly got to her feet and brought herself back into a fighting pose. "Good idea though."

"Thanks," Nick replied, smiling slightly.

"Any plans?"

"Uh… Status update?"

Judy nodded and checked her radio, before turning back to him. "Brittany is safely in the forest and is working with Skye. Our sheep is still below us. She also says that the weasel is making his way away from us."

Nick nodded, thinking. He flinched down though as a loud clatter rang out throughout the room. Peeking out from over the top of their shelter, he saw a gas tank that had been tipped over. Another deafening bang rang out, making Nick leap up slightly before he recomposed himself, and looking the other way he saw that a wardrobe like cabinet had been thrown onto its front.

Through the clearing mist he saw a spec of white vanish into a crack in the wall.

Nick turned back to Judy, who was nodding into her radio. "Bogo's guessing that if she tried to use her wool offensively, we'd be able to beat it," she said.

"Hence the mind games," Nick repeated, flinching again as another loud bang echoed out.

"He's also asking, 'why don't you speed check every room and defeat her?'"

A smug look grew on Nick's face. "And make it so easy for you guys? I know it's hard, but you guys have to earn this win by yourself."

His grin grew wider as he saw Judy's nose twitch a few times. "If you don't want to be here, you can leave any time," she said calmly, waving a paw towards the door.

Nick shrugged. "Always could. Never did. My greatest weakness."

"Sounds like you're just a wannabe enforcer?" Judy sassed. Nick looked at her and burst into laughter. "How dare you," he joked. It was a clear rejection, a slap in the face, but somehow the bunny found herself smiling just a little bit too as she looked up at the fox. "Deny it all you like, you just want to be a hero."

"Do I?" Nick said, shrugging. "Who knows?"

…

Bar the odd creek and groan, silence filled the room. The attempts at spooking them had lost a lot of their effectiveness, but they still carried on. Occasionally there'd be a creak or a groan and the sharp crack on a thrown stone hitting something, but now that they were used to it, it didn't seem to bother them.

Judy mused about it, before pausing as she realised that she was up against something big, warm, and oddly comforting. She looked up to see Nick and, her eyes wide with alarm, she scooted away.

…

"Also, if I speed quickly and just burst down door after door, I might make a mistake."

Judy paused, looking up at Nick. He was looking away from her and down. Down at the ground.

"-That's how it happened with number one," he said coldly. His voice sounded odd to Judy. Detached. "I didn't mean to, I… -she was attacking and slaughtering innocents in front of me. I'd be dead if I didn't have my… -one punch. One punch. Then realising what had happened…"

…

"That's how I ended a life. I tell myself it's fine. She was a monster. I saved lives… -But the mammal down there might be a friendly mother of three who bakes fluffy blueberry muffins for the school cake sale for all I know!"

…

Nick looked down, his eyes widening slightly as he saw Judy's paw on his own. "It's okay," she said.

He relaxed. "Thanks."

"Now, let's work out a way to win this."

An eager grin grew on the red fox as he turned away and began rapping his fingers along the side of his muzzle, deep in thought.

"I mean," she noted, "we've tied her up here, haven't we?"

Nick nodded before pausing. He turned to Judy, his eyes wide, and leant in. "No. Other way around!" he whispered urgently into her.

Judy froze solid. "You're right."

"Grade A hustle," the fox added. "Keeping us busy, while the weasel fellow does the dirty work!"

The bunny stood up and spoke into her radio. "Update on the weasel?"

She paused, nodding, before looking up. "Still wandering about." There was another burst of sound, and Judy smiled some more. "Apparently we posted a few good red herrings about where this flag is."

"Ah," Nick said with a smile. "So the ZED isn't totally useless."

"We also have reinforcements five minutes out," Judy added.

Nick's grin wavered slightly, before redoubling. "Let's say we capture this weasel before then."

Judy stood up, crossing her arms. "Got a plan?"

Nick stood up proudly. "Does he have a plan, she says?" he said, adding a fake yawn at the end. "Yaaaaaawww-OW!"

Judy giggled as Nick flinched down again, rubbing the back of his head. Still, she did feel some sympathy and, noticing a nearby vent in the floor, she went over to it and gave a solid shockwave kick.

 _KA-CHUM!_

It blasted down into the vent, cracks snapping open around it, while piles of dust blew out of all other holes, nooks and crannies spread across the room. Bits and pieces were thrown about, and there was even a clatter as a mop tipped over and rattled to the floor. Looking at it all, Nick paused as he saw some specs of white in the clouds. His eyes widening, he blinked, and then he smiled. "Okay. Now I really have a plan!"

"Great! What is it?"

"Well," Nick began, before he leapt up in shock, yipping as he did so. Judy flinched back from it and spotted a waving tentacle of wool from where Nick had been standing.

 _KA-CHUM!_

Fraying out, it vanished, and Judy stood by its hole on guard. "Try me," she said.

"Uh… Carrots!"

Judy paused and looked up, gulping nervously.

Wool tentacles.

Hundreds of them.

Out of every nook, cranny, gap or hole, they'd emerged and were busy wiggling about. More were coming in, especially in Nick and Judy's little shelter.

"Nick," she said, coiling her legs up to power jump out of there. "Shall we go outside!"

"Good idea!" Nick replied. "Outside and plan! I did not volunteer for this Lovecraft crap!"

Judy nodded, and leapt out with a powerful kick. Nick, after taking a quick detour, raced out with her.

.

.

-A few minutes before-

.

.

Skye blasted out of the lobby and took to the air. The wind whipped at her face, and it felt cool thanks to the spray being kicked up from the waterfalls currently crashing down the dam spillway. A quick tap on hear earpiece, and she spoke up. "Where is he Bree?"

"Flying down some sort of tunnel. Must lead to the front of the cliff."

Skye nodded and glanced down, her eyes narrowing as she saw a small sewer pipe that had been fitted into the rock. There was a slight whisk of water being kicked up and a figure emerged, flying out fast.

"Skye-Girl to Bree! Skye-Girl to Bree! On intercept, over!" she chirped in a funny accent, before bending over.

For a moment she was perfectly still.

In balance.

Calm.

Even the butterflies in her stomach were balanced out by the buzzing thrill of the upcoming chase.

The moment passed in a moment and she dived down into a rapid stoop, channelling her inner bird of prey, and the chase began.

The water vole, riding on top of a drone, rapidly came into view as he made his way away from the combat scene. Skye's arms were out, ready to catch, but a sudden pull to his left swiped him out of her reach. Her speed high, she pulled up again in a long arc, turning around to face him again and flying forwards. The vole, now standing up on his craft for better balance and control, spotted her and took evasive manoeuvres.

He cut the power to his rotors.

And fell…

Skye went after him too, her arms, ears and tail dead flat against her body as she picked up speed, ready to make another intercept. She got close, only for him to power up his drone and flip himself out of the way.

It was close.

Skye could swear that one of his rotors had clipped a whisp of her fur, and her wake had sent him spinning and tossing. He gripped on though, a steely eyed look on his face, and he balanced himself out and made for the cliffs.

Skye followed.

She flew in another sweeping arc to grab him, coming so close to the cliff walls that she began running along them. Nick's powers gave her a speed boost and she closed in on him.

He ducked into a crevice as she passed. Her legs out forwards, she kicked up chunks of rock as she halted herself, her feet screaming in pain as they acted as breaks. Halting, jumping off the cliff and floating in the air, she steadied herself and glanced around. "I'm not going to lie," she said, an excited smile on her muzzle. "You're pretty good."

"Well, duh!" came the squeaky and cocky reply.

Skye's eyes narrowed deviously. Her hearing might not by as good as Judy's, and there may have been the sound of tons of cascading water to make it harder, but she had a good idea of where that sound had come from.

A small crevice that lay in the rocks. She leant forwards and charged, her arm piercing and closing around something. She yanked it out, only to flinch in surprise as she saw what it was.

Some kind of speaker device.

"Never fear Zootopia!" It spoke out. "The ZED is excellently trained to deal with any and all rogue speaker systems! The common mammal can sleep safely in their beds tonight."

Skye let it drop from her paw and fall away, before she looked around.

"Skye!" came Brittany's voice from over the radio. "He's getting away. He's by the shack on the left of the river."

Opening the eyes, the cream coloured vixen spotted the vanishing trace of her target and set off again. Stooping once more, she went down vertically before pulling up as she approached the water. Racing down just above it, rapidly closing in on the elusive vole, she slowed down to his speed, eager to make sure he didn't outmanoeuvre her.

Glancing back, he pulled hard with his controls and, his drone still close to level, shot to the right and into the trees. Skye, slowing down further, went after him. With his small drone, the water vole darted through the branches and vines, pulling this way and that as he used them as cover. He glanced back at Skye constantly, watching as she took longer routes in and attempted to get close to him. She pushed through branches and leaves, flinching as they whipped at her face but carrying on regardless.

They approached a gap in the canopy, and he pushed forwards to cross it, Skye launching herself at him as she did so. Arms out, she turned to follow his banking turn, only to watch as he pulled up and did a barrel roll.

More than that.

A full Immelmann turn, lining up behind her.

She went hard left, turning around and spotting him bring a drone mounted cannon to face her. It may have fired blanks, but that didn't matter, as the cream coloured vixen dove down and up, ready to end her challenger.

He pulled to one side, ready to bring his weapon against her, and she flew around it to stay out of the firing line. Curving in to grab him he backed off, all while he tried to get that elusive shot, and they danced in the air as they both tried to achieve the impossible.

"You're good," he said, waving off a lazy tail salute. "Maybe I should fly with my right paw?"

Skye smirked. "Maybe I should too."

"I think you definitely should," he replied, cutting power and dropping down as he dodged a sudden grabbing attempt. Firing up the front two rotors of his drone, he tilted himself upwards, putting Skye well within his sights.

He fired.

She dodged, narrowly. Whisks of fur were whipped up from the blank's shockwave, and she twisted and turned before shooting well away from the gun's sight.

"-Given that it looks like you're left pawed," he carried on, giving a quick wink. He pulled his drone controls back and dropped, the whole world turning as he twisted and flipped, before darting forwards again. Skye, not wanting to let him go, raced towards him. She kept her body on edge, ready to turn, and zigged and zagged as she approached.

He banked to the right and she followed.

He dropped down close to the ground, and she did too. She let her feet touch the ground and, rather than dodging the bits of fallen logs on the ground like he'd hoped, she leapt forwards after him.

Paws out, she watched as she brushed him, his evasive manoeuvres taking him out of danger. She swept around, just as he entered a new set of trees, and they began weaving in and around the trunks. This way and that, cat and mouse, the pair duelling gracefully beneath the canopy.

She'd come close to capturing him, but he'd pull up or to the side, or try again with his guns. It was her turn to dodge then, and she even found herself being chased at a few points. Her heart beat hard, and everything was on a razor edge. Pulling out of another Immelmann turn, she jolted to the right to avoid some more gun fire before spotting a cliff in front of them, a narrow pipe at its base. She put on a last burst of speed, as did he, as they raced towards it. She came closer, and closer, and…

 **CRACK**

She hit the cliff.

Hard.

Her mind was awash with agony, and she hit the ground at speed. Blinded. Dazed. Clutching her smashed up muzzle hard, she was too hurt to cry out or scream…

But, in seconds, she felt the screaming go away as her broken bones locked back into position and fused together again. Her raw scars healed, and even her shock went. Mostly…

"You okay?"

She looked up to see the drone by the lip of the pipe, the water vole perched on top of it.

"Good," she muttered.

"Well, good to know," he shrugged, bringing out a bit of reed from a pocket and beginning to chew on it. "Looked like you were trying to impersonate that mouse chasing cat from those classic silent films. Disregarding empowered ones like him, the mammal body doesn't tend to work that way, you know?"

"No," she noted, rubbing her paw over the formerly stinging area. "It doesn't…"

"By the way, not that I care, but what's your name?"

"Skye."

"Pseudonym?"

"…We don't do that here."

"That's a shame," the vole replied sadly. "Can't make a joke out of that."

"A joke?" she asked, looking up confused.

"You know!" He shrugged. "Oh, you're Roar? What a bore. The Crushing Pall? Well I'm the compressing friend!"

Her eyes flicked down at that mention, and she turned away.

"Tchhhh…" he noted. "That's a fifty-fifty chance of either no sense of humour or tragic backstory right there." He paused, before sitting back on his drone and smiling, still chewing his bit of reed. "Anyway, thanks for the entertainment. While most mammals can't shine a light to me even with empowerments, you came sort of close…"

"Sort of?" Skye asked, turning and beginning to build up pressure in her legs.

"Yes. Sort of Miss Skye."

"That's Miss Autumn," she replied, preparing.

The water vole paused, before snickering. "I stand corrected. You're a spy film reference but with extra steps! I give you credit where credit is…"

"-DUE," Skye screamed, launching herself forwards and at him. Her arm was outstretched to grab hold of his drone, which he was suddenly backing into the pipe. The vole and the drone went in, as did her arm, and then her head. She felt he shoulders slam into the rocks and her arms tear at the joins as she reached for him…

-Only to find him hovering barely a hair's width from her reach. "Credit where credit is due, that was a close one," he replied, still leaning back on his drone like it was a sun lounger. "I'll lift your mark out of ten from a six to a seven for that. But that's as far as you can go without catching me." He swooned down, bowing, before giving a paw salute and slowly backing his drone away. "Farewell. The german one. Goodbye!"

Skye watched him vanish into the darkness and pulled out of the tunnel. She stood up, dazed and confused but okay, and pressed a finger to her earpiece. "Bree?"

"Yes Skye?"

"Could you tell me where this vole is going to emerge?"

"On it!"

A quick following of instructions and Skye swooped around the hill, ready and waiting beneath a pipe. Seconds ticked by, and her ears perked as she heard the whine of the motors. Her legs tensed up, her arms were ready, she…

"Wait, Skye!"

The drone shot out of the tunnel and, ignoring Brittany, Skye leapt after it. She caught it mid-flight, only to pause as she saw that it was empty.

 _Beep…_

 **BOOM!**

Skye flinched back, as the whole contraption blew up, spraying her with red paint.

"Miss Autumn," came a smug reply from behind as the water vole, obligatory reed already in his mouth and being chewed, leant against a pipe wall casually and looked on. "Consider your loss caught red pawed."

Skye, wiping her eyes, turned around and darted towards him. Without his drone, there was nothing stopping her from scooping him up entirely in one paw.

Shaken, he looked up at her and frowned. "Sore loser I see," he noted, giving a lazy roll of his eyes. "Shame, I was getting to quite like you."

A devious smile grew across Skye's face. "You do know that I also have super healing?"

"… Maybe now I do."

"Nice trick with the 'fake exploding drone'," she noted. "But I'd only be extra annoyed at this point. Sorry, but you lose. Now, that flag please."

…

He rolled his eyes and leant back, his mouth turning up into a coy smile. "Firstly, I'm afraid I'm a distraction," he noted, Skye wincing down with annoyance, before looking back up. He paused, shrugging. "As for that losing thing…. How about, in say the interests of good sportsmammalship, that we called it a draw?"

Skye frowned, before shaking her head. "You know, why not?" she replied. She let go of him, placing him down and starting to fly away.

"Hey, Skye!" he shouted, waving a paw. "Thanks for the entertainment!"

He rolled her eyes. "You too….?"

"Tattletail."

She gave the agent a quick salute, before darting off back to help the rest of her team.

.

.

-A few minutes before (the end of the previous one, but a few minutes after its start)-

.

.

"Bree, do you have visual on him? Over."

"Yes Judy!" Brittany replied back through her radio. She only stood a short distance away, hiding behind some large rocks near the start of the bridge to the old prison, but she was far enough from the fight to not be part of it. Closing her eyes again, she scanned through the building, her heat vision settling onto the glowing outline of the weasel, currently scurrying this way and that through a pipe. "There's a grill on the third floor over the canopy. Should give you a good line-up."

"On it," the bunny replied. Bending her legs, she hopped up and up into the air, bouncing as she approached the vent in question. She grabbed onto the top of it, giving a quick downwards blast to tear the grill off before sliding into it.

 _KA-CHUM! KA-CHUM! KA-CHUM!_

Brittany watched as the three warm shockwaves ricocheted down through the pipes and vents, the faint orange mists of warmth slowly dying down as they went. By the time it hit the weasel it had lost almost all its heat, being barely traceable.

But that didn't mean it wasn't powerful.

Brittany gasped as the weasel was pushed backwards, stumbling, and then thrown down the vent by Judy's shockwaves.

"Give him a few more!"

 _KA-CHUM! KA-CHUM!_

The small mammal had little hope, flying through the pipe before just going with the flow, getting carried past containment cells and what looked like medical wards. As he passed on though he flashed out of his vent and into the corridor. There must have been a small hole, Brittany thought. "He's in the medical ward, third floor."

"On it!" Judy called, bouncing up. There was a large window that looked in, and she flew through a broken pane, landing in a combat stance. Tense and ready to fight. She saw the weasel there, in a pile of old medical gurney's, gas tanks and other equipment. A little red flag was hanging off his belt, and her eyes narrowed as she gauged him up. He was dressed up in his combat suit and poised to fight or flee. While she'd dealt with another weasel criminal many times, this mustelid was the polar opposite of him. Lean but still muscular, sharp and pointed. Despite his small size, his very presence told her that he was trained. He was dangerous. He was…

 _Fwooop…_

Gone.

Judy blinked a few times, looking around for him. There was nothing there though. He'd vanished.

"Commander," she called in. "Does the weasel have any other powers apart from his hole thing?"

"No," came the reply. "And Bogo says that his powers have limits. He can't carry large objects through his holes."

"So, he can just run."

"Unless he has a pistol or something, yes," Fangmeyer replied. "But this looks like a distraction attempt. Have Voxen update you on enemy locations and be ready to pull out."

Judy nodded, before Brittany's voice came over the line. "Judy. Sheep is well away, and I know where the weasel is." There was a little bit of snickering, before she carried on. "Third gas tank from the left!"

The bunny paused, raising her ears as she looked over at the piles of medical equipment. Third gas tank from the left.

"That's the one!"

Judy smiled as she placed her ear against it, hearing the tell-tale sound of a heartbeat from within. Fangmeyer came over the radio. "Seal that valve now. He caught himself!"

The bunny did so, before knocking on the metal sharply. "Sorry Mr Weasel! The ZED wins this one."

…

"Oh," came a voice from inside. "Hang on just a sec."

"Why…?" Judy began, before her eyes widened as she saw that the canister had no pressure gauge, just a hole. A mass of brown fur surged towards her, and she felt it push through her nose. A strange feeling went around her head, almost similar to how she felt when she was congested from a bad cold, before she heard a swoosh in her right ear. It throbbed a bit, and she turned to see a brown figure darting off into the distance.

"Hole-was-already-there!" he cried, before he disappeared completely.

…

She blinked a few times, before her nose twitched. "Wait..." she pondered, fingers out and pointing as she tried to work out what exactly had just happened. "-what!?"

"Distraction technique," Fangmeyer shouted over the radio. "Stay on focus Hopps!"

The bunny nodded, and her eyes hardened with resolve.

"He slipped through one of the sinks and is in a sewer," Brittany shouted. "Toilet block to your left. Flush him out."

"On it!" Judy replied, racing off and smiling as she heard the young vixen snigger. Reaching the bathroom, she pulled herself over the shattered remains of a megafauna toilet and fired.

 _KA-CHUM! KA-CHUM! KA-CHUM! KA-CHUM!_

Brittany watched as the weasel was battered by the shockwaves, losing his grip and flying out with them. On the outside of the building the downpipes had been torn away by Judy's power kicks and he flew out into the air, twisting and turning.

 _Fwooosh!_

He landed straight into Nick's paws, the red fox looking very smug at himself. "I think that's a win for us!"

The weasel opened his mouth to speak before pausing, turning down to sigh with disappointment. "It's a fair cop!"

Nick let him down, right next to a mop that he'd brought out. "If I'd have nipped you with that thing," he said, pointing to it. "As I planned to do originally, then it'd be a fair mop."

The weasel smiled. "Well. Hey. Win is a win, fair enough. Good job, enforcer."

Nick paused, his mouth hanging open before he shook it off. "Thanks…" he replied, his voice trailing off as he said it. Fussing with his feet, he gave a quick shrug. "If you want to congratulate an enforcer though, it's the little sorceress or Carrots that you want to call. Those two flushed you out."

The weasel paused. "Maybe let the bunny recover a bit," he said, waving his paw out in front of him. "I kinda did a thing…"

Nick nodded, before pausing. He looked up and called out. "Carrots! Where are you?"

…

No reply.

"It doesn't usually take this long," the weasel noted. "I wonder what's taking her so long?"

.

.

.

 _KA-CHUM!_

Judy watched as her shockwave blasted down the corridor, tearing out vinyl tiles and flecks of paint and sending them flying towards her opponent. The sheep bent down, her wool dragging pieces of metal and steel in front of her as a shield, and took the debris and blast head on. "ARGHHHHHHHHHHH! Pulled a muscle!"

"Want to give in?" Judy replied, landing down on increasingly sore legs as she did so. She watched as the metal plates pulled away, revealing a homely face that smile back.

"Not on your life, dear!"

"If this was a real battle, I could geyser spiral you and it'd be over."

"Could you now?" came the soft response, as the sheep pulled all her wool to her side. She stood there alone and exposed, ropes of her wool reaching out from her and creating a shield guarding nothing. "Let's put that to the test."

Judy nodded, before smiling. "Game on." She bent her legs as much as she could and jumped up, spinning as she released her most powerful move. "GEYSER SPIRAL!"

"KHU-CHAK!"

A white tendril of force blasted out of her, sending her flying back towards the end of the corridor. It hit the metal and wool shield hard, and it hit back.

Bits of metal were torn.

The whole thing was thrusted backwards.

But it held.

Judy landed hard, one of her feet already tapping rapidly with annoyance. The whole mass of wool and metal pulled back around its owner, clanking and rattling back into position, entombing her in a bunny-proof suit of armour.

"Fangmeyer," Judy called into her radio. "Should I withdraw?"

"Negative!" came the reply. "Get her looking away from the window and keep her distracted! A flick of flame from Voxen should count as a win!"

Judy nodded and psyched herself up, before charging forwards. She leapt at the sheep, who bent down and prepared herself for the assault. A second quick blast and it never came. Judy flew over her, landed, and fired back.

 _KA-CHUM!_

The shockwave hit the back of the sheep's knees and they buckled. Judy saw her chance and raced forwards, hoping to get a kick beneath the armour and tear it away, but Maisy recovered. A big mass of wool pushed her upwards and flipped her, before a second burst out of her front carrying a pipe. She swung it like a great sword and Judy backflipped over it, landing before leaping backwards.

The sheep remained where she was, but the single tentacle of wool that carried the pipe reached out and swiped again. Her back against the wall, Judy narrowly missed it as she rolled out of the way, finding herself next to a pile of junk.

The sword came down again, but Judy met it. Her own piece of pipe stopped the blow, halting the attacking pipe mid-strike.

It pulled off, before darting in.

Judy leapt out of the way before bringing her own sword around. She swiped and parried, the clinks of metal ringing out as the pair exchange blows. It got faster and faster and faster, sparks begging to fly.

Judy felt the grip on her pipe begin to slip.

She jumped, her knees bent.

 _KA-CHUM!_

The shockwave blasted onto the floor and bounced back up, buckling the wool tentacle and causing it to retreat.

Judy stood there. Panting. Shaking with each breath. Pulling up her own pipe, she held it up defiantly before pointing it forwards.

Maisy's pipe slowly came to meet hers, the two tips gently glancing each other's.

They let out a hollow clang.

It felt like sparks were flying between them.

Walking forwards, Judy slowly pushed her pipe into the opposing one, the two glancing tips evolving into two crossed swords.

…

They stood there.

…

Their eyes met…

Maisy swiped, and Judy met her.

Behind them all, amidst the ringing sound of glancing swords, two feet landed into the room. Brittany, holding her wand tight, pulled it up and pointed it at the pair. She trembled, her breath haggard, and her aim shook and swayed as she just stood there.

"Give a short fireball to singe her. We can claim the victory!" Fangmeyer ordered.

Brittany nodded, and pulled her breath in, trying to steady herself. The vibrations dulled down, her wand pointing out towards the sheep, and Brittany gulped as she tried to build up the anger to….

 _A whiff of smoke…_

 _A scream… The smell of burning and ashes and that face and that face burning and burning and burning and…_

"-NO…" she hissed, wincing as she pulled the wand away.

"Voxen! Take the shot!"

"I… -I can't," she gasped, beginning to cry. "I can't!"

"Yes, you can!"

"No!" she whined. "I can't kill another…"

"For gods sake, even if this was a real fight you'd just be burning off her wool! She'd be fine. Just do it!"

Brittany pulled her wand back and tried to aim it, tears coming out of her eyes. It dipped, and she yanked it to the side. "But if I make a mistake… If I slip up…. I…"

"-Right," Fangmeyer hissed. "We still have the flag, she's a bonus. If you can't do it, pull out of there!"

Brittany nodded. "Yes commander," she replied, turning around and pointing her wand down. This time the fire came, and she flew out into the air.

Judy, watching her, frowned. "What now commander?"

"Retreat!" she ordered.

Judy nodded, but not before seeing an opening. Bending down under a wide swipe, she let out a shockwave and flew across the floor. Landing on all fours, she hopped and skipped and then rolled, coming to a halt beneath the sheep, her legs pointing up.

 _KA-CHUM!_

The sheep was thrown into the air, almost hitting the ceiling. She buckled and swayed, wool firing out around her to anchor her in position.

 _KA-CHUM!_

She held, and Judy saw the wool above her push down just in time. She launched herself out again, narrowly missing the descending bits of armour, and raced to the door.

"Were any of those supposed to be geyser spirals?" came a call, Judy looking back and shaking her head.

"No," Judy shouted back. "Can't wind myself up enough in that position."

The sheep smiled. "So, the games continue."

Judy nodded, before launching herself out of the building. She bounced around, before spotting a group of figures standing at the far end of the beach. She flew over to meet them, landing in front of Skye, who'd cleaned herself off by flying through the waterfall, and Brittany, the former comforting the latter.

"It's fine," she was saying. "No-one's judging you."

"I know," the red-furred vixen replied, sniffing as she pinched the bridge of her muzzle. "But if I… If I'd… to her…"

Judy felt a flash of concern and raced forwards. "Brittany! You've been doing a great job so far. Well done."

She looked up and smiled, before taking a deep breath in. "Thanks."

"Anyway," Judy said, continuing. "We have Skye here, and Nick. Wolfard too."

"Sorry," the timber wolf replied with a shrug. "I'm dead!"

Nick smiled. "We have the flag," he said, handing it over to Judy for safe keeping. "You didn't die in vain."

The wolf rolled his eyes while Judy, storing the flag in a pocket, chuckled. "And, for bonus points, we can now avenge you!" She suddenly paused, her eyes shooting up."I can hear the chopper coming in. We regroup and take that sheep on together."

"What about the cat?" Nick asked, Judy looking up to him.

"What cat?"

"That cat," Nick replied, pointing over to the island. The whole group turned and looked, their eyes resting on a cat bobbing up and down in the water. There was a bang as a side door was opened and the sheep, still in her mock suit of armour, raced out. Bits of wool wrapped around the cat and she jumped on, arranging her shielding into a ball shape, which then began flying out over the lake.

"They're on the run!" Judy cried, before looking at Skye. "We can fly after them."

"I could run across the water," Nick offered.

"I can go with you," Brittany offered. They all nodded and set off.

Nick and Skye raced forwards, Nick on the water and Skye in the air, and together they dived towards the armour ball. Nick went first and gave a solid punch, piercing an old bit of door before trying to tear it away. There was a shriek and a splinter as his mangled hand pulled out, the door still in place. As he swept away, shaking his paw as the bent and broken bones slowly, from his point of view, healed, he saw Skye swoop down and try to lift the whole mass up into the air. The wool she was grabbing slipped through her fingers like water, and she was left with nothing.

 _KA-CHUM!_

Judy let loose a blast wave, a kick of spray sent flying out.

The sheep-tank was unaffected.

"We need a new plan!" Judy cried, as she bounced around. "And some solid ground, I can't stay like this forever and if I hit the water they can get me!"

"Got you!" Skye replied, pulling up as Brittany swooped around on her wand, riding it like a broomstick. Looking on, the red furred vixen had an idea.

"Skye!" she shouted. "Hold me for a sec!"

The cream coloured vixen turned away from Judy and went to grab Brittany by the armpits. Fire stopped coming out from her wand and, closing her eyes, she pointed it forwards.

Nick, speeding along, watched as a mass of ice grew in the middle of the lake. He turned and pushed himself onto it as Judy landed. "Thanks Brittany!" she cried, as the vixen was hoisted onto Skye's back. Nick slipped back, halfway into the water, and began kicking. The whole mass began lurching forwards, soon skipping across the waters surface as they chased after the wool tank.

"Mind giving me a seat with a backrest!" Judy shouted, and one soon appeared. Slotting herself into it, her legs were pointed dead forwards, right in line with her target.

 _KA-CHUM!_

Judy fired, watching as the sheep-tank shook and almost toppled. Water dripped from it as it slowed to a halt, and the wool opened up to reveal a small wool hose poking out.

"LOOK OUT!"

A jet of water blasted out, hitting Judy square on. She gagged and splattered, hitting off several un-aimed shockwaves.

"Tell Wilde to kick up some spray or something!" Fangmeyer ordered through her radio. "Cut their aim!"

"Hold on!" Brittany cried, having had a similar idea. Leaning over from Skye's back, she brought out her wand and began launching fireballs down.

Not at the enemies, but at the water between them and her friends. She soon had a stream of fire going, and a whole line of steam was being formed. Skye swooped down, using her wake to spread it out. Judy, with her kicks, aided. The enemy water stream still came, but it was missing them spectacularly as Nick moved the iceberg raft. Judy, getting a glimpse of the enemy through the mist, fired, and watched as they rocked and swayed.

"Think you can get some steam inside them?" Fangmeyer called in as Skye and Brittany flew overhead.

"No! Sorry!" came the reply. "Maybe with practice, but…"

"Understood," came the slightly irritated reply.

The two vixens pulled up, getting a clear view of the overall battle. Turning her heat vision on, while also switching to her cold so she could compare, Brittany saw that the sheep-tanks armour was a full sphere, containing both mammals.

She paused, remembering an idea she had on the cruise.

"Does wool feel pain?"

Skye paused, looking up at Brittany. "No! It's just like hair, why?"

"Bring us in close," Brittany said, as they turned down and approached the pair. Brittany closed her eyes and breathed in and out, letting the peace settle through her.

"This is just wool I'm doing it to," she told herself. "It won't spread or hurt. It won't rage out of control…" She focussed and let out a blast of cold. It hit the top of the wool tank and spread out through the waterlogged wool.

It froze solid, wool and ice and bits of metal, becoming a rock-hard shell that closed around its occupants in a couple of seconds at most.

One of Judy's kicks hit it and it sent them rolling. Nick raced forwards and Skye, Brittany standing up on her back and remounting her wand, did so too. The two older foxes grabbed the side of the ball and pushed it forwards, rolling it onto the shore next to two bemused looking rhinos.

"I heard that there were larger sizes of kitner egg coming out," one noted, looking to the other. "But this is taking the biscuit, don't ya think? What do ya think's in it?"

There were two muffled screams from inside, both saying the same thing. "We yield!"

The second rhino looked to the first and shook his head. "Now there's a bunch of moral quandaries I DON'T want attached to chocolate, thank you very much."

The first looked at him and nodded. "Yarp."

.

.

Ten minutes later, a large group of mammals were sitting by the reservoir edge. The four mammals on the opposing team were eagerly talking to each other, with two of them huddling close around a raging bonfire that Brittany had lit for them. With both the water and her ice they'd been freezing and, once she'd warmed up and melted the ice-shell in a flash, they'd asked if she could heat them up by a few degrees. She'd paused, realising that should could warm their bodies up rather easily. It was just doing the hot water sister to others… But it still hit her the wrong way, so she'd settled for setting a fallen tree, split up into logs by Judy's kicks, aflame. She wasn't ashamed to say that she was enjoying being close to it too, as were most of the others.

Nick was spending a worrying amount of time sassing with the water vole, while the others intermingled. There was a flutter of wind though as Fangmeyer landed. She looked darkly at Nick, before looking back at the rest of her team and nodding. "Combat wise, you performed excellently," she noted, looking over to Judy in particular. "Your teamwork with Wilde, disregarding the character of the mammal in question, was perfect on the fly thinking…" She turned and looked over at Brittany. "As was your creation of an iceberg, your steam shield, and your finishing move." The little vixen's eyes went wide, and she couldn't help but let her tail wag excitedly. "As for you, Autumn," she carried on, glancing over at Skye. "With some training, your flight control could go from excellent to unbeatable. I'm impressed."

There was a general round of applause, a faint smile appearing on the tiger's mouth before she shook it off. "However, we've seen several weaknesses exposed. Our transport for enforcers without flight or super speed let us down badly and needs reviewing. Also, you lot running into the building at the start could have resulted in an instant loss if one of those bomb drones had been used."

Judy paused, looking over to Skye, who had a concerned look on her face. "Yeah. I get that."

Fangmeyer nodded. "Let's ignore the fact that you didn't follow my orders to start with," she said, a hint of darkness coming through. "That's the first breach and infiltrate we've really done, but that's no excuse. We should train every enforcer up on the proper tactics and protocols."

Judy nodded. "Maybe get the ZPD to lend a paw? I can pay them back by being a battering ram on a swat team or something?"

The tiger smiled. "Good thinking. Your previous pairing with them during riot control should have already put us on good terms with though." She paused, before noticing that Judy was sitting next to Nick. "Also, I don't want to see any more civilians being roped into our missions. Do you understand!"

"What if I volunteer to help?" Nick asked, waggling his eyebrows a bit as he leant over. Fangmeyer let out a growl.

"I'll tell the enforcers responding to give your tail a bit of a kick," she said darkly.

Nick was about to reply, only for the group to be cut off as the wildcat walked over. "You're telling me this guy is a civi?"

"Not quite," Nick replied. "Me and the ZED have a bit of a history. I'd like to say I'm a bit more than that."

"Yes, you certainly are," Fangmeyer scolded.

"Dude," the weasel said, racing over. "You should totally be an enforcer!"

"Not while I'm in charge," the tiger said, sternly.

Judy's nose twitched and she stood up. "If Nick wants to be an enforcer, he should be allowed to become one. Given how much of a debt we owe to him, I think it's fair."

"And I say no," Fangmeyer replied. "I don't want a miscreant like him running amok in my institution."

"Tough words," the water vole said, chewing on a water reed as he did so. "And I'm happy to support you."

"Hey!" Nick replied, turning to him. "I thought we were friends," he said, earning a facepalm from Fangmeyer.

" _Please-God-no,"_ she hissed _._

"And that's why I was going to add, 'it's not me who's dying for your principles', to the end of that little sentence."

"We can do just fine without Wilde," Fangmeyer announced sternly.

"And I think he can do quite fine without you," the water vole pointed out. "Even with your best efforts thrown at him…"

"Well," the sheep said, piping in. "If you've got powers, you gotta use them for good! Make him an enforcer, he'd be great at it!"

"Here-here," the weasel replied, quickly joined by both his team, Judy and Skye.

Nick stood up and brushed himself off. "I'm afraid that I've got my old agent looking for power gigs at the moment, and I'll be doing my own thing. Thank you very much though."

"Are you sure?" Judy asked, getting his attention. "I do think you would make a good enforcer. You have a good heart, and I'd believe in you."

Nick looked at her fondly, pausing as a thin wavering smile briefly glanced across his face. He shook it away though, holding his arms up. "I'm afraid that I like you guys, but I don't like the ZED. I think I can do a lot of good with my powers my own way, and that's the way it is."

"Except the 'good' part," Fangmeyer barbed. Nick ignored her, and turned to speed away, only to stay as a new voice spoke up.

"You know what!" Brittany said, stepping in between Nick and Fangmeyer. "They're his powers, and he can use them for good in whatever way he wants to. If he doesn't want to join the ZED, that's fine. If he does, then he can join and use his powers…. _On his own terms_ ," she finished darkly, looking up to Fangmeyer as she did so.

Nick paused, looking over them, before smiling. "Thanks for the support… -and today's entertainment," he said with a smile. He gave a little wave to Brittany, Skye and Judy. "See you around soon!"

"You too," the bunny replied. "Maybe another meetup?"

Nick nodded, looking over to Skye. "You can send me their numbers, right?"

"Sure," she replied. "Next time, Nick!"

"You too," he replied, before turning and blasting off into the distance.

…

The water vole looked on and smiled. "And now, for the dark and brooding act three," he noted, bringing out a water reed and starting to chew it slowly, even for him.

Fangmeyer gave him and glance, before turning to her enforcers. "I can't tell you what to do in your private time," she said, "but just be aware of the kind of mammals that you choose to hang about with and idolise. Keep in mind what kind of impression that makes, and what kind of issues it might cause later. Understand?"

Judy marched forwards to speak, but Skye held out a paw to stop her. "We'll keep it in mind," she said, Judy weakly nodding as well. The commander acknowledged it and turned to Brittany.

"If I hurt your feelings, I'm sorry."

"So, you should be," she barbed. "I joined on as an assistor for some very specific reasons. Ones that you know about."

"Yes," Fangmeyer nodded. "But I remember how you aimed to be an enforcer for years. The chances are that you might change your mind in the future, and I want you to be ready for when that may happen. Besides, you found out that you could be extremely useful today, didn't you?"

Brittany opened her mouth to speak, only to cut it off. "Yes, commander," she said.

"You're young, and you have potential," the tiger noted. "Just remember that we're here to help you reach it to the full. It would be a shame if you chose to hold yourself back."

"It would be a shame if I marched over any moral limits that I set myself," Brittany muttered back. "Because once I start doing that, where do I stop?"

Fangmeyer paused and nodded. "In the end, it's your decision, even if it is a waste. Feel free to take the rest of the night off, all of you." She gave a quick nod, before turning and taking off into the sky.

.

.

* * *

.

 **AN: The edit thing I did was with Wessly coming out of Judy's ear. Originally... He went a slightly longer route through. At least one person found it highly off putting and distracting/ scene killing, so I changed it. For those curious though, here is the original.**

.

"Oh," came a voice from inside. "Hang on just a sec."

"Why…?" Judy began, before her eyes widened as she saw that the canister had no pressure gauge, just a hole. A mass of brown fur surged towards her, and she felt it push through her nose. A strange feeling went down her throat and she felt her innards wiggle about, before something shot out of her anus, raced down her trouser leg, and scurried out towards a wall.

…

She blinked a few times, before gagging, suddenly feeling rather ill. "Oh god! That wasn't needed!"

"Distraction technique," Fangmeyer shouted over the radio. "Stay on focus Hopps!"

.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

 **.**

"Morning Karen!"

The white arctic hare paused, looking up from her desk and smiling. "Morning Brittany." She slowly put down a lot of the gear she was working on and waved the vixen over. Brittany was dressed in her general ZED uniform, given what she was going to be doing that day. She'd got a good night's sleep after the war games incident and, with her main 'general assistance' shifts about to start up again, she'd decided to get some more practice in. Besides, Karen had finally finished her new Mark IV, and the vixen was curious to see what new features had been added. Heck, she was curious to see what new features there were for any device in general. Although her friend downplayed it, what she did was interesting and very cool. Speaking of which...

"What you working on there?" she asked.

Karen paused, glancing down at the bits and pieces on the desk. "It was an old experimental thing we built along time back, for an enforcer with electrical powers." She turned and began piecing the items back together, a set of long metal sticks getting screwed into a black and very bulky looking power unit, which a large mammal would hold onto like the grip of a sword. "His power set operated fairly closely to how yours does, in particular your ice powers."

"Oh. In what way?"

Karen seemed to ignore her at first, messing with the device, until a few moments had passed and she picked up again. "Your base power is the ability to control temperatures, something that is strongly linked to your inner mood. When creating fire, you heat up air to the point that it burns things in it, though air by itself shouldn't burn."

"What do you mean?" Brittany asked, pausing as she did so. She turned, giving a little puff of flame from one of her fingers. "I mean, when I was little I just thought it was fire. But now I thought it was a bit of hot plasma that you see, isn't that what fire is?"

"Common misconception," the hare explained. "Fire is just the outline of where hot gasses are combusting with oxygen. For instance, a fuel with a lot of copper will produce a green flame…"

"-Yeah, I remember my lab classes," Brittany chirped. She smiled as she thought back to them. For a long time, just like with almost all of her classes, it had just been her and Ben, the big cheetah walking her through the experiments and encouraging her to use her powers to light the Bunsen burner or even combust those iron filings. It had only been when she was thirteen or so that there was finally another mammal of her age who she could partner up with. Eventually, in the last few years, it had been her as part of an entire lab class, though she'd still offered to light the burners here and there.

"Right," Karen noted, pulling Brittany back to attention. "With your wand, you draw some heat and fuel from it, it gets mixed with oxygen and burns. But when straight conjuring, you seem to be generating your own fuel."

The vixen paused, looking to the side. "So, you're saying that that's a separate power." There was a chuckle. "I can understand Bogo not telling me that I could just make petrol anytime I wanted.

"Not fuel in that sense," the hare noted. "I believe that your heat is splitting up carbon dioxide molecules, and maybe even the covalent bonds between oxygen atoms. The flame you then see is the recombination."

"Huh," she noted, pausing. "Couldn't you test that? Looking at the light profile of my flames or something."

"Theoretically," Karen agreed,, pausing as she did so. "In fact, that sounds a little interesting. Might save it up as a side project for later."

"Cool."

"…Apparently," she shrugged. "In any case, normally heating air to that temperature shouldn't do that. It seems that some of your heat gets pushed into making these reactions anyway... -almost showing off. Similarly, when you use your cold powers, you draw in a lot of moisture from the surrounding air in order to form ice."

"Yup. That one's fairly easy to know," she noted.

"As for our enforcer, the mammal was generating his own electricity via splitting off electrons," she noted. "Like lightning, -though give him a bit of metal and he could form his own current."

"So that's his version of my wand?" she asked, peering over at the device. It looked very much like a sword for a larger mammal, up there with Bogo's size.

"Equivalent to your Mark III, yes," she said. "It would create a long series of sparks down the end, which he could draw off of. Unlike with your powers though, the effects were relatively negligible."

"Well, it's mostly just the effort of getting it going that it cuts out," Brittany pondered. "I could do my job without it… -though I'd miss being able to fly. Anyway, I think we're ignoring the real important thing here."

"Yes," Karen nodded. "I'll just…"

"No, not my new wand," Brittany interrupted, a smile growing across her muzzle. "We're ignoring the fact that you created a lightsaber."

"It's not a lightsaber."

"It's totally a lightsaber," the vixen chuckled, shaking her head. She brought up one of her paws and waved it around. " _Vrooomm…. Vrooom….."_

Her eyes half lidding, Karen jumped off her desk and wandered away. "The mammal who designed that did pretty much the same thing," she noted.

Brittany's ears went up. "I thought you…"

"Dr. Badger's sister interned with us for a little bit," the hare explained. "She was very gifted, but she had a lot of psychiatric issues that ultimately meant we had to let her go." She paused, clearing her throat. "And it's a bit of a sensitive subject, so please don't bring it up with the vet."

"Right," the vixen said, as she walked along towards one of the testing areas. She paused as she passed a target practice area, holding her paw up. "I wonder if I could make 'fireless fire'," she pondered out loud.

"No theoretical reason why you shouldn't," the hare replied, bringing out a box. "Though it might be such an ingrained instinct that you can't shake it. Anyway, I believe you came to see this."

"Yes," she eagerly replied, leaning down to take out the item. It was a fair bit shorter, and a lot fatter, than her current Mk-3, and it didn't seem to have the retractability. There was a big hook, ready for holding it onto her utility belt like a sword, and several buttons.

"What do these do?" she asked.

"The one on the left lights the wick at the top," Karen noted. "You toggle it on and off."

Brittany did so, seeing a small but warm flame peek out at the end. Pausing, she looked down the firing line and gave a gentle blast. As expected, a ring of fire emerged. It flew down the range, widening and thinning out, before Brittany pulled it right back in front of her, forming a hot and warm ball. She closed her eyes, trying to shift from the harsher 'fire' feeling inside her to the more mellow 'warm' feeling that she associated with the 'hot water sister'. It was a strain, and she thought she was failing when the fire seemed to die but, as it vanished, she still felt heat coming out.

"Hey, fireless fire!" she noted, as she focused on the ball of hot air as hard as she can and moved it around. It was a bit harder, having to go on feeling along, but she could do it.

"Fascinating," Karen noted, pausing as she jogged over and retrieved something. "That the hottest you can get it?"

"I'm trying my hardest," Brittany noted, her brow furrowing as she focussed on it. "It's a lot easier when you go for 'fire'."

There was a bleep and Karen, holding up a thermometer device, nodded. "Two-hundred Celsius. About as much as a warm oven. How about building it into a stream, or such?"

Pushing her powers, Brittany saw a shimmering mass of air grow in front of her. She directed it towards one of the targets and noticed some discolouration and such occurring. It was working, and she didn't feel that bad about it. It wasn't fire, which burned and consumed. It was just heat. "How hot we at?"

"One-hundred," Karen noted. "So, if that were a real mammal, he'd be covering his head and running away."

Brittany let go, relaxing as she had to no longer concentrate. "So," she said, a hint of hope in her voice. "No burning?"

"Burns, yes," Karen stated firmly. "Keep that up at someone for long enough, and you'd cook them."

"Oh," she noted, her ears and tail drooping.

"But most mammals would do the sensible thing and run," she added. "Or get to a safe distance and fight back."

"Right," Brittany agreed, still not sounding so sure. She looked to another button though, her curiosity increasing. "This the one that activates the cold?"

"Yes," Karen noted, taking the wand into her paws. "I'm afraid that that is something much harder to engineer around, hence why I had to drop the telescopic feature."

"Well, you need to fit a refrigerator into there," the vixen chuckled.

Karen smiled, a little bit of pride showing through. "I actually stumbled onto a far more elegant solution. Remember the ideal gas laws?"

"Uh-hu," Brittany nodded, not sure where this was going.

"Well, we have a highly pressure tank of air in there, which can be repressurised at this point," she noted, tapping a small valve on the pommel. "Any tire filling station will do. I initially thought of using highly compressed propane, seeing if you could have the hot and cold reservoir be one and the same, but I found the practicality was better if they were kept separate. Anyway, hold it and press the button."

Brittany did so, flinching back as a sudden hiss came from the end. She saw a blast of white air puff out which, as she studied the end of the wand, she realised was condensation. "You release it, it gets cold," she noted, suddenly making the connection to her science lessons.

"That's the idea," Karen agreed, waving her towards the firing range. "How does it help?"

Brittany's eyes narrowed, and she gave a practice shot without using the new wand. Shards of ice formed, one after the other, and they peppered into the targets methodically. She then pulled at one of the limp things, seeing ice grow around and frost over it as she drew out the heat. Then she formed a small ice ball in front of her, and let it guide itself around the room before vanishing.

"Right," she noted. "Fairly easy. Now let's…"

She pushed the button and tried to latch onto the cold, much like she did with the flame on her wand. She felt her powers fall into the groove, and a great ball of ice began to quickly form in front of her, growing and growing.

"Woah! This is easier!" she chirped, smiling as it grew larger and larger and then stopped, even as she pushed more cold into it. She frowned. "Why aren't you…?"

"You might have used up all the rooms water vapour," Karen noted, "a barometer would be…." She trailed off, her eyes widening as the iceball began to grow again. The new layers seemed to smoke as they grew, before stopping once again. Brittany, taking her paw off the button, let the ice boulder hang there before letting it go, seeing it drop down onto the floor and shatter into a smoking mess.

"Was that dry ice?" she said, chuckling.

Out came the thermometer, and Karen nodded. "Minus one-hundred Celsius," she noted. "I believe so."

"Oh my!" the vixen giggled.

The hare walked forwards and studied the fragments with interest. "I agree."

"It did feel a lot easier, just like with my wand," Brittany noted, before turning on the flames again. She fired them at the largest chunk of the ice ball, sending it skidding back as it evaporated all over again. Her finger back on the cold button, she fired a stream of far more powerful ice darts into a target, watching them pierce through them. "Take that dummy!" she shouted, before pulling up her wand and waving it around her. Karen looked up, wide eyed, as a thin ice dome formed around them, turning into an incredibly thin igloo.

"Well," The Hare noted, giving a brief smile as she tapped on the ice shell, shattering it. "I can say that this test was certainly very positive. May I take the wand?"

"Sure," Brittany replied, handing it over. Back at the workstation, the pressure was checked.

"Five-percent down," she noted, "so very promising. Having some tanks you can carry on your belt and can plug in would also extend the potency greatly, though the fire element will always outlast it, even in its diminished state."

"Very cool," came the reply, joined with a large grin. Karen paid it no mind.

"Anyway, I'll make a few changes and then it'll be ready. It was an engaging challenge for sure."

"Yeah, I'm…" Brittany began, before pausing. "-Oh! One other thing!"

"Yes?" Karen asked, watching as Brittany pulled out her existing wand.

"I'm able to fly with this, but it starts to get tiring the longer I do it," she said. "I also need to land to engage in problems and such. Otherwise, I'd just, well… -drop, really."

"Hmmm. Flying was only an added bonus," Karen noted.

"Right." Brittany agreed. "So, I was wondering if you could adjust this old guy to be better for flying. Maybe add wings, or a seat, or…"

"Given the size constraints, wings might not do much," Karen noted, "at low speeds at least. At cruising speed though, they could generate enough lift, with your fire powers adding the thrust and steering." She paused, a tiny hint of an eager smile growing on her. "In any case, we've got enough recordings of you flying to get some seats or rests in the right places, make it a lot comfier. And give the trusty thing a new lease of life."

"Yeah!" she happily said, giving Karen a pat on the back. "Do you mind if I do some more practicing with the prototype?"

"For a few hours or so, sure."

Brittany took it and went back to the firing range. Her ice powers were fast becoming some of her favourites, and she enjoyed playing or even dancing with them. They felt so much more beautiful, and she was so much more in control. They couldn't betray her, or consume. She built an ice spire in front of her, and sent it lancing through the target, skewering it head.

She paused though, catching her breath, as a chill thought came over her.

It would still have the end result, wouldn't it? Violence? Death? Murder?

She suddenly felt slightly ashamed, guilty even.

Then again, maybe she could find a way to use it safely, like she'd done before.

But did she want to?

She didn't know. Taking a breath, she walked away from the range, briefly wondering what it would have been like if she always had her ice powers, and only discovered her fire ones on her eighteenth. The chances were she'd have had a fairly normal childhood with her parents, before joining the ZED on graduation. That or the ZFD, or maybe getting an agent and selling the use of her powers.

She shook her head. If that were the case, she'd have never met her friends here. Nick would still be on the run, Skye still a cripple and so many others dead, Jack still on the loose. There was no point in regretting it, she should just look forwards.

"Had a good time, Brittany?"

"Yeah," she replied, pausing as she passed by Karen. "By the way…."

She fired her coldness into the air and focused on spreading a chill around the entire room. The arctic hare looked around as flecks of white flurried around her, quickly forming a thin powder on the floor.

"Let it snow…." Brittany sung. "-Let it snow!"

Karen turned away and focussed back on her work. It wasn't like the cold bothered her anyway.

.

.

* * *

.

.

A few hours later and Brittany was ready to visit someone else. Someone she had a lot more nervous feelings about. She stood there, by the door to the familiar office, preparing to knock it. She reminded herself that it wasn't Bogo that she'd be seeing on the inside anymore.

"Hello Brittany" he said, the vixen jolting slightly from the shock. A little chuckle came from behind, and she turned to see the big Cape Buffalo standing there. "How are you doing? Good?"

"Just working up the courage to, you know…" she said, gesturing at the door.

"You'll be fine," he said, leaning forwards. His arm came out, as if to rub her head, but it paused slightly mid-reach. An awkward silence held, before she reached up and held it.

"Thanks for the support," she said, smiling.

"You want me to be in there, with you?" he asked, sounding almost hopeful.

Brittany thought about it for a few seconds before shaking her head. "I… -I'll try and do this alone. I'm an adult now, y'know?"

There was a pause, and Bogo shook her paw before letting go. "Yes…" he said, looking down at her and smiling. "And it makes me proud to see the kind of adult you've grown into," he began, turning away slightly.

"Thank you," Brittany replied, suddenly feeling so much better for his warm words. "…You up to anything, or…?"

"No," he dismissed, shaking his head. He pulled out a few envelopes and looked at them. "Just dealing with this hate mail. A lot of mammals angry with how I treated Wilde, and with that new mayor, a good few hating on all empowered." He sighed slightly, his head drooping. "I haven't set a good example, so I think it's fair that I deal with them."

"Well," Brittany began. "I think you're a wonderful example. You're great, and it's those other mammals' fault for not knowing it."

He chuckled slightly. "Thank you very much for saying that," he said, before grabbing his cane and starting off. "I'll be gone for a bit, finally getting my operation tomorrow. But best of luck, Brittany. Though I know you can do it regardless."

So, he made his way down the corridor, Brittany watching him go. She felt an upswelling of pride and, tuning to the door, knocked it a few times.

A long silence followed and that upswelling started falling down into a pit. She was wondering if she should have taken up Bogo's offer to be there with her, or Clawhauser's before that. She'd thought it best that she did this alone. Something she was beginning to regret.

"Come in," came a call, and in Brittany stepped, entering Bogo's office.

No.

Fangmeyer's office.

It still felt a little wrong. Still, she sat down as she waited for the tiger to be ready. She was looking irritably at some figures, her claws tensing in and out.

"Anything the matter?" she asked, putting on a smile.

Her eyes glanced over and the new commander relaxed, something that spread to Brittany. "It's the stupid mayor's office," she noted. "I was able to find a few good cuts here and there, trimming some stuff for the budget, and now our next one has been cut! Those bean counters think that we can run off of it this year, even though we've got some big expenses coming through."

"What did Bogo say?"

"He said 'welcome to politics one-oh-one'," she mumbled, shaking her head. "Why politics has to come into this, I don't know."

"If Bellwether becomes mayor, it's not like we're getting much choice," the vixen noted. The new leadership election was only a few days away, and things weren't looking good.

"She'll just need to give us what we need, it's that simple," Fangmeyer agreed. "I didn't think it possible, but I'm beginning to envy Bogo getting to work under Lionheart…. -and that impersonator."

"We'll get through it," Brittany said, optimistically. She was feeling better now, especially as the intimidating tiger nodded.

"Yes," she dryly, "though some members seem happy enough to go about with the wrong mammals, which won't do much for our already damaged reputation." She paused, a dark levity coming into her voice. "I'd prefer it if you don't encourage them."

Brittany's ears folded back as she sat in the tigers dominating gaze. She looked about, confused about what she was talking about, before she remembered in a flash. "Hang on," she began. "Is this about Skye and Judy hanging about with Nick?"

"Yes," she said, curtly. "He's the kind of mammal that we were set up to control, and…"

"-Hold on!" Brittany barked out, a sudden flash of righteous indignation pulsing through her. "We screwed his life over," she began. "He…"

"Went on the run, humiliating us and making a mockery of the laws of this city for the last decade," the tiger stated firmly. "In that time he stole, murdered, tied up massive amounts of our resources, and the fact he got an undeserved pardon changes nothing."

"Underserved!?" Brittany gasped. "After all we did to him, he tried to save us! He gave Skye her life back!"

"And that _traitorous_ little vixen threw the ones who saved her under the bus," Fangmeyer replied back, a slight snarl in her voice as she besmirched Skye. Her fur was standing up a little, and she held herself tensely, glancing away slightly.

Brittany's eyes went wide, and she almost felt her power control slip before remembering to hold it in. She stood up and spoke out. "Don't you dare insult Skye! I don't like what happened, but I know why she did that. It was the right thing to do, even Bogo agreed!"

"And it's on his behalf alone that I didn't throw her out or give her janitor duty," the tiger said coldly, before her mood darkened. "I may not have the same obligation I have to Bogo towards you, so you'd better watch your tongue. Now, I will at least tell you why I don't like Wilde, and hopefully you'll see why he caused us such a mess, and why he shouldn't have got away. Do you understand?"

Brittany gulped, nodding her head.

"Good," the commander said dryly. "He was accused of a crime. If you are accused of a crime, or I'm accused of a crime, we, as citizens, must be willing to answer to society. That means going to trial. That means getting judged, letting the mammals look at the evidence, and letting them choose whether or not you are guilty. Wilde, though, thought he was above that all. Maybe he was scared of Savage, but he should have known about Savage going rogue. He could have then come back, stated that he was scared of this enforcer, then gone and defended himself in a court of law. His only accuser would be gone, completely discredited, and there'd likely be nowhere near enough evidence to convict him. He could probably pass along his fear of that bunny and get away with dodging his trial for a little bit." There was a pause, Fangmeyer looking down, and her tone darkened. "Of course, he chose to carry on running for ten years, dabbling in vigilante justice in all that time. He proceeded to show off, humiliating us and eroding the public's trust in us. He kept on running away until we gave up. What kind of message does that send out?"

"That we at the ZED are willing to admit to our mistakes?" Brittany snarked, with a shrug. "That we weren't going to chase an innocent mammal forever? That we weren't going to lock him up for crimes he didn't commit?" She paused, looking forwards. "He's a nice guy, what kind of endgame did you even want for him?"

"I'd have liked for him to get publicly thrashed in battle," she stated firmly. "Then hauled in front of the courts, found innocent of the crimes he didn't do, but then get a few years for resisting arrest and avoiding his trial."

"A few years in jail for being scared?" the vixen gawked. "But why? I still don't get why you're so mean to him. Why you hate him so much. Why…"

"Because it's the image he puts out!" the tiger said, raising her voice and making Brittany flinch back slightly. "Let's say you have an ordinary mammal with a super powerful empowerment. He or she goes to school, has friends, the works… They can also explode heads with their mind or something. I don't know. But one day, someone accuses them of a crime they didn't commit. They find themselves on the run. Now, if what I wanted to happen to Wilde had happened, do you know what they would have learned? They would have learned that the ZED will find you. They will defeat you, however long it takes. They'll learn that the courts will look at you and find out whether you committed the crime or not. They'll know that if they're innocent, they have nothing to fear. BUT, if you resisted arrest, if you chose to run rather than to explain yourself to society, you will get punished for it. It would have told the next mammal that finds himself in Wilde's situation that the best option is to hand yourself in, and let the system work out the truth." She paused, shaking her head. "Instead, these mammals have learned that they can go on the run, cause happy go lucky chaos for a decade or more, humiliate the mammals meant to protect the citizens and that, ultimately, they'll be found innocent and pardoned. They'll have learnt that the powers in charge are corrupt, cannot be trusted, and that it's best to play fugitive." Her tone darkened. "We were lucky that Wilde only took down two very bad mammals. A cornered mammal, especially one with heavy empowerments, can be an incredibly deadly thing. Wilde may have a lot of innocent blood on his paws in the future, mark my word."

Brittany blinked a few times, looking down. "I didn't realise that you felt so strongly that way."

"I tend to keep it private," she noted, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That's my viewpoint, and it's not like I don't understand Skye's or Bogo's." She stood up, walking over to a water cooler to take a drink. "Our image was shattered by Bogo's confession, and having our enforcers hanging around 'the hustler' is salt in the wounds. All this, when we're pretty much guaranteed to be getting a mayor with a deep distrust of the empowered in the next few days! If I had my way, your friends wouldn't be in contact with him any longer." She paused, taking a quick swallow, then carrying on. "Then again, all I'm able to do is voice my strong disapproval. It's not like I can tell them who to be friends with."

…

"It's not like I don't understand your viewpoint," Brittany said slowly, as if she were trying to feel out all the words before she said them. "But he seemed like a normal mammal who was scared…" She breathed out, before her words found their footing again. "-It really sucks to be scared, you know? But despite all that, he helped us and saved us. Judy's right, he has a good heart."

…

The chair creaked as Fangmeyer sat down again. She wandered over to some files, scanning through them, before looking back at the vixen. "I read through your proposals."

Brittany's ears perked up and she looked forwards. "Yes!?"

The tiger maintained a neutral expression. "Both Clawhauser and Bogo have said that it's a good idea, and there is a lot of sense in it. But…"

"But!?" Brittany gasped, the tips of her fingers and ears going cold.

The tiger paused, thinking for a few seconds. "As you know, we only really have around fifty students. Usually less than that. Roughly a third join at sixteen, seeking to enhance their powers instead of going into sixth form. Most of the rest either join when they'd otherwise transfer schools, or in their early teens if they have a very dangerous power spike. They then stay here as they like it here, or occasionally leave if they and their parents agree that things are safe and they want to go home."

"So?" Brittany asked. "Wouldn't they still want to see more of their parents? Even if they're staying during the week and going home at the weekends, why can't they?"

"Many of them are happy to be independent," Fangmeyer pointed out. "Most of them would be off to university in two years anyway, and I don't think that they'd really care about your ideas or plans." Brittany moved to speak, only to be cut off by a raised paw. "I understand that you went through an awful lot," she pointed out. "But, with the exception of a very unique recent arrival, we've always tended to have more years without an under ten student than with," she said firmly. "You are an exception, not the rule, and while I applaud you for trying to fix something you see as broken, I don't think there's that much of a need." She shrugged and looked away slightly. "Besides, even if all your reforms were put in, I hardly think that it would change that much for you. You can change the system all you want, but terrible parents…"

"-Don't call them that!"

Fangmeyer paused, looking at Brittany almost curiously. The young vixen looked at her firmly and shook her head. "You don't know what they went through, or how they suffered," she said, gritting her teeth. "If they'd have got even a bit of help…"

"And how many others might be in such an odd situation?" the tiger asked. Her voice was quieter, more curious, before turning quiet and frank. "I'll be honest, I'm amazed that you were able to forgive them. I wouldn't have been able to, not after that kind of betrayal. While I didn't say it at the time, I'd have supported you if you chose to break contact. Personally, if someone's parents treat them like that, I'd have thought that bringing them here and out of harm's way is probably a good thing."

"But it wasn't for me," she said. "And maybe there's another mammal out there, and it isn't for them too. I don't think I'm asking for anything unreasonable! Just give the option."

"Our budget is stretched as it is," Fangmeyer stressed. "Besides, the academy was never a core priority of ours. We also have very little accommodation, and…"

"We've got big grounds," Brittany pointed out. "Even if it's just some trailer homes you put on there, it can't be that bad?"

The tiger paused, before shaking her head. "Were this a good time, I'd probably be more open. As it isn't though, I don't see enough benefit to look at it at the moment…" she paused, carrying on in a lighter tone. "Bar on a case by case basis if and when we get another young student... That sounds like a reasonable compromise for now," she offered.

"But what if lots of the current students do want it?" Brittany asked. "Or their parents?"

"Well," Fangmeyer said, pausing. "If you can prove to me that there actually is a large demand for change, I'll change," she said. "I promise."

Brittany paused, before sighing with relief. "Thank you," she said.

"Good," the tiger noted, "though next time I'd prefer it if you were more civil in my office. I can overlook it this time but I'm not Bogo, I'm your commander."

"Understood," Brittany said, though a hint of irritation reached her voice. "But I think you'll find I do an awful lot more holding back than most other mammals here," she said.

"I don't deny that you've had it hard," she agreed, her voice softening a bit. "But power control and anger control are two different things." She looked up, her gaze piercing. "You may have worked as hard as everyone else, but if that's gone into holding back your powers instead of your anger, there's still something serious you need to work on. It's not fair, but that's life I'm afraid. Dismissed."

"Thank you," Brittany said, nodding and walking out. Pausing, she turned back. "Likewise, I think there's things you need to work on as well."

The tiger's features twitched, and the vixen feared she'd gone too far as they turned aggressive, only to fade back to normal. "Most likely," she replied, looking away. She gave Brittany a wave, and the fox left the office, sitting down at a nearby sofa to catch her breath and thoughts. She'd been hoping for more, but, in the worst-case situation, a new young child would have much more options and chances than she was given. That was a start. It hopefully meant that no-one would go through what she went through, and wasn't that her goal? She shook her head though. There might be many of the older students who wanted more freedom and options, rather than the all in or all out, and they didn't deserve to not have them. She'd have to find out what they wanted and give the facts to Fangmeyer.

She stood up, before pausing though. Another thing the tiger had said was going through her mind.

" _But, with the exception of a very unique recent arrival…"_

She didn't remember seeing any new students around or hearing about them. But, from the sound of it, this child was a young one. That, and something was different about them. ' _Unique…_ ' Maybe their powers made them age super slowly or something. She didn't know. What she did know, however, was that she was going to find out.


	18. Chapter 17

**AN: Posting this one day early today, seeing as I have things tomorrow. Next update is the regular time next week.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 17:**

 **.**

 _ **Knock-Knock-Knock…**_

 _ **.**_

"Come in!" Clawhauser said.

Brittany entered the cheetah's office, finding him scanning through some exam papers, his red marking pen in paw. He looked up and smiled. "Hi there! Want to talk about something?"

"Or maybe I just want to hang out?" she said, shrugging.

The big cat winced slightly, looking down at his work. "I'd love to, but maybe in a little bit," he said, gesturing to the papers in his paw. "Though I guess it depends on what kind of hanging out you want to do?"

The vixen paused, thinking. "Maybe I could snuggle up to you and watch some TV?" she offered, smiling. "Long time since we watched a film together."

"Yeah," he sighed sadly, as he ticked a few more questions and moved onto the next paper. "I'm afraid that things have been getting a bit busy lately, less and less time to get things done. I hope you understand, and can see…"

"It's good."

He relaxed slightly. "Thanks," he said, looking up at her. "Though I'll always try and make some time for you… -you're still cute as ever and all!"

Brittany felt a warm feeling and walked forwards, wedging herself by his side and wrapping an arm around him. "I know," she boasted.

"Anyway," he noted. "If you want to hang out like this, I could do with the company. I love teaching, but marking's always a pain…" He looked down, sighing slightly. "I was hoping to get a teaching assistant or someone soon. Callie said she'd be happy to train up, though with the current budget that's up to debate…" He paused, his pen on the paper, before turning to Brittany. "What did Fangmeyer say?" he asked, sounding more serious.

Brittany's ears drooped down at that and, with a shrug, she answered. "Good news and bad news. Bad news, she said that as most students are much older, they 'like the independence' and might not feel the need for this." She paused, feeling a great big paw on her own, before she carried on more confidently. "The good news is that, for new younger students, they'll look at it on a case by case basis," she noted. "I guess that means discussing it with the parents and child first, trying to work out the best option."

"Well that's still good," the cheetah noted. "I'm guessing that means offering the parents a chance to stay here, or such…"

"It does nothing about the current students," she pointed out. "But she said that if I could prove that they wanted it, she'd look into it."

"That's even better!"

"Yeah!" Brittany agreed, nodding her head. Her brow furrowed though as she looked on. "But I need to make it clear to her, you know? So she can't try to dodge out of it."

"Well," the cheetah noted, "I'll try and help you where I can, though…" he went silent, gesturing over to the marking. "Things are a lot busier now."

The vixen nodded, before her eyes widened. "Yeah, about that," she said, turning to him. "It wouldn't have anything to do with a new student, would it?"

He paused, his eyes going wide too. "I didn't think that you'd have met him yet!"

"Ah," she said curiously. "It's a he! The commander said that we had a new young student or something… -something about him was exceptional."

"Well," the cheetah noted sadly. "That's one way of putting it."

"How come?" she asked, before pausing. Her voice went cold with an icy worry that had spread through her, though she kept her powers completely under control. "How old is he?"

"He's five and…"

"Five!" Brittany gasped, horror struck. This time her powers did slip slightly, the tips of her fingers cooling down, though neither mammal noticed. She looked away aghast. "Five…" she repeated again, before her teeth gritted. "And Fangmeyer… -she! I!"

"Wait!" Clawhauser interrupted, and she turned to face him. She couldn't help but notice how sad his eyes were, and he looked down. "Before you judge her, I'd better explain what she meant by exceptional."

She took a deep breath to reign in her powers. "Go on," she said coldly.

He sighed, before doing so. "It's not to do with his powers… -though his use of them was what led him coming here. The foster home couldn't handle him."

"Foster…" she began, before her eyes widened. "-He's an orphan?"

Clawhauser nodded slowly. "Taken in by social services a few years ago, nearly starving, and put in the foster system. When he began using his powers… rather aggressively, they thought it best to put him here."

Brittany looked away, her entire mood suddenly changed. "So, it's not like we're taking him away from anyone."

"No," the cheetah agreed, holding her paw. "In fact, I was hoping that we'd be there for him in the same way we were there for you." He paused though, looking down. "Part of the reason I've been busy is because he's that much younger than you were, he needs much more attention. We tried to have Callie look after him a lot, but she couldn't manage."

The red fox vixen sighed, remembering how alone she'd felt before. How she knew that, however great the ZED tried to be, they weren't true replacements for her parents. She remembered how Skye had always been there for her though, becoming true family.

"Could I meet him?" she asked, looking up.

"Sure," Ben agreed, standing up. "He's only a few rooms over." He pointed towards a kit monitor with an inbuilt camera, and Brittany peered into it. It seemed to be an ordinary room, similar to her own. Large enough for a larger mammal to enter, though not be comfortable staying in. However, as she looked on, she couldn't see anyone.

"He's probably hiding," Clawhauser noted, as he walked to the office door and waved her on. "Come on."

Brittany followed him out, quickly making her way to the room in question. She watched as he knocked it, before speaking out. "Hey there Larry, I've got someone who wants to meet you."

"Larry," she repeated, following him in as he opened the door. The empty room beckoned, and she glanced around as she tried to see where he was. "He must be a small mammal, mustn't he?"

"That's right," the cheetah agreed, a slight frown on his face. "Larry? What did we say about hiding?"

There was a pause, before a childish chuckle broke out. "Is Fun!"

The frown increased. "Come out now!"

"…NO!"

"Right Larry," Clawhauser commanded, in a tone that still sent a little shiver down Brittany's spine. "Come out in three… two…."

"WHAT YA GONNA DO STINKY FAT CAT?!"

His tail went straight behind him, before thrashing about a bit. "How about no dessert for a start," he scolded.

His threat was met with a giggle. "You don't gimme dessert ever!"

"That's because you keep being naughty!" Ben said out loud, holding up a threatening finger, even if Larry didn't see it. It was met with silence, and the big cheetah looked down, then over at Brittany. "He had behaviour problems to begin with," he explained quietly, "and while I try and give him the time and attention he needs, it's a struggle…" There was a look down, and another glum addition. "I was hoping that having Callie would… but she wasn't…"

"Well I didn't want that dumb otter!" came a shout, as Brittany walked forwards.

"She's not a dumb otter," she said out loud. "She's a very kind mammal, a friend of mine, who wanted to look after you and…"

"SHE JUST WANTED TO REPLACE MY MOMMA!" came a scream, and Brittany couldn't help but hear some pain behind it. There was a faint sob, then another, then a whining cry came out. "You're not gonna replace her!"

Ben made a move forwards, but Brittany held her arm out to stop him. "Just give me a sec," she said, and he nodded. Closing her eyes, she thought back to how she felt. How she'd experienced things in all those times that she thought her loved ones, or herself, were being replaced. Because she knew now that doing the wrong thing would just stoke the fire. He was angry, and upset, and lonely. Just like her. So, what would she have wanted?

Her parents had humbled themselves, happy to do anything to get her back, but she'd been too blinded to see that. What did she want back then? She wasn't sure.

"I don't want to replace your mommy," she began, as she still heard him sob. An odd, pathetic, whimper or murmur came here and here as well, something that pulled on her heartstrings. "But I want to help you. How do you want me to help you? What can I do?"

"Find her!" he half begged half yelled.

She moved to speak, only for Clawhauser to cut in by her. "I know what you're thinking, but we know nothing about him. In any case, if she chose to leave him and doesn't want to restart contact, we're not allowed to tell him who she is until he's eighteen."

Brittany paused, thinking it over. It would be tough, hard, and none of them might like the answer… But she felt that he deserved to know the truth. "I'll try though," she said.

"If you're up to it," he pointed out.

She nodded, adding another thing to her list. "Listen Larry, I promise you. I'll try and find her, but I want you to come out and say sorry to Clawhauser. Okay?"

"What… -what if you're lying!?" he shouted, almost screaming.

"I promise you I'm not," Brittany pointed out, pausing slightly. "I could by lying, or I might not be. So, I could find your mommy, or I might not. But if you don't come out, I won't help at all." There was another pause, as silence filled the room. "Anyway," she said, with a smile. "You seem upset. I was like you too once. Here, away from my parents even though I wanted to be back with them so much. But there were kind mammals who loved me here, and their hugs helped make things so much better until they could come back. They didn't replace my parents. I have two families now, which is even better!"

There was a soft rustle and, from behind a wardrobe unit, a little figure emerged. Grey fur, two little ears, wide eyes and a great bushy tail. The tiny grey squirrel kit hopped up to her.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, looking to Clawhauser.

"I'm sorry," he muttered out, before turning back to Brittany. "And I know something better than a hug!"

"Oh," she asked smiling, not noticing Clawhauser's eyes widen. "What would that be?"

"THIS!" he yelled, leaping forwards. Brittany's eyes went wide and she yelped as he clambered up and around her, clinging onto clothes and fur as he went on his way. She yipped in shock, and began hopping and batting with her paws, as he laughed and giggled.

"LARRY!" Clawhauser scolded. "What did we say!"

He just laughed, and the cheetah turned to Brittany. "Hold still, he doesn't get enough attention, and this is a game to him."

She froze, but Larry kept on running about over her. She flinched as he went up to her ear and yelled out. "AARGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Seeing this, Ben walked over, his eyes narrowing. He began darting out with his paws, trying to catch the miscreant squirrel, but missing each time. Finally, he stopped and took a step back. "Just keep still," he said, "he'll get bored."

"I have a better idea," Brittany stated, closing her eyes and channelling peace and sadness into herself. She froze again, this time letting her body and clothes turned white with frost, and the squirrel yelped as his hands went cold and slipped. He tumbled onto the floor, landing on all fours.

"YOU CHEATED!" he yelled, suddenly back on the verge of tears. Brittany knelt down and slowly put her paw against his back, rubbing him slightly. He was certainly a bit of work, but she felt a bit of satisfaction as he calmed down, and he looked up with cute and wide eyes.

"If you're good, I can make them go nice and warm," she said. "But only if you're good, Larry."

He paused, looking down and around, then up again. "Okay," he said. "Who are you?"

There was a pause. "My name is Brittany," she said with a smile.

"Hi Brittany. Are you gonna start looking for my Momma now? Or are you just a liar or a dumb-dumb like that otter?"

.

.

* * *

.

.

 _KA-Chumm…_

 _KA-Chumm…_

 _KA-Chumm…._

Judy bounced through the air, twisting this way and that as she catapulted herself above the sands of Sahara square, all at the end of a busy shift.

.

It had started very badly at first, with a gangland fight in a poorer area of Savannah central. Due to their large size, large food needs, and severely limited dexterity (thus generally poorer employment opportunities), horses, zebras and other large equids tended to be on the more impoverished side of society, despite government incentives to help. Equid gangs could be dangerous, especially viscous ones like the ' _4_ _th_ _street Colts_ ', the ' _Mad buckers'_ and the infamous ' _Peaky Blinkers'_. Of course, if one of their members were empowered, things could get really bad. The call out had talked about long razor-sharp tendrils flailing about, and she quickly located the perp.

It was an ass, screaming in pain and begging for help, his panic causing his powers to thrash about. She and the police had arrived, and they did the merciful thing and tranquilised him. It turned out that a gang mammal had thrown acid at him, though thankfully it had only hit his left hip rather than his face. His mother had arrived, and Judy had to explain that he'd be taken to the medical facilities at the Empowered Mammal Correction Facility. It took a long while to persuade her that he wasn't in trouble, rather his injuries and the fact that he was panicking meant that this medical facility, with its power dampening field, was the safest bet. Once he was calmed down, he'd be moved over to a regular hospital. So, she'd jumped in the ambulance and gone off with him.

About that time, the police notified her that they'd found their suspect. An angry young stallion, whose old and once powerful gang had been almost broken in a gang war whose tables had been turned by a few empowered. He'd seen the Ass showing off his powers to some girls a while back and chosen to 'take out the competition'. He claimed that it was self-defence, or that the empowered mammal had it coming, but Judy just watched as he was loaded into the back of a squad car. "The new mayor will bust me out!" he boasted. "I'll be a hero!"

He tried to struggle, only for his arresting officer to hold him tighter. "She's not the mayor yet," he said, Judy nodding in agreement. "-Even if she can't come soon enough." The bunny paused, suddenly finding herself far less in tune with him. Given what had been said in the news she, and most other empowered, had been keeping an eye on the upcoming Dawn Bellwether. It was natural when she seemed to view your kind as a problem, and Judy had spent time to find out what she might be planning for them. She herself wasn't affected by any policy changes. Neither were normal citizens who just happened to have a power. Still, it would feel wrong not to have any lingering concerns about her, even if things had been quiet recently. No major empowered battles or anything, helped by Nick being out of the picture. No catastrophic 'discovery of power' events. Indeed, the whole fallout with Bogo resigning was settling down. The worst Dawn had called for was to have an elected figurehead in charge of the ZED, citing the clear corruption and lack of accountability. Heck, have the same thing for the ZPD, ZFD and medical services, and that could be something the bunny would approve of.

Overall, Judy noted, as the arresting officer carried on handling the perp, that this seemed like the calm before the storm. What happened when she got into power, she didn't know. They'd survive though. They'd survive, and it wouldn't be too bad.

"-Then I suggest that you re-read what she's promising," the officer, a brown wolf, warned the perp, who'd just been talking about how Dawn Bellwether had encouraged 'vigilantism against the empowered'. "However badly the empowered like to lord it over us, I'd rather take them than a piece of filth like you." He pushed the horse in fully and closed the door, glancing at Judy briefly before walking over to the front.

She looked on, her nose twitching slightly, before turning, ready to bounce away.

"Don't mind old Gus."

She paused, turning to see a fox officer walk up next to her. He looked nice, and she couldn't help but see the resemblance with Nick, though he had a white tipped tail. "We don't see many fox-cops," she noted, feeling reassured by his presence.

"Well, there's a few," he joked. "Those of us with a thirst for justice, without powers," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Just don't mind Gus though," he repeated, carrying on. "He… -from what I gather, he went through something intense… -Involving a very nasty empowered mammal. Sees a lot of them in the same light, even the good ones like you."

"Understood," Judy replied. "And thanks."

"You're welcome," the fox cop noted, before sighing. "Crying shame though."

"What is?"

"That Ass," he said. "Part of a youth thing, keeping mammals out of gangs. I know he wasn't in one." He paused, a slight growl coming through. "But that perp didn't care, saw his powers and didn't attack him out of hate, whatever he tried to say to cover his butt back there. Just thought 'better safe than sorry' and tried to take out potential competition."

"I hope he doesn't say that in front of a judge," Judy noted, the fox cop laughing. He paused though as his radio chirped, and he replied.

"Better be off," he said, before smiling. "But don't worry. That poor lad could have had it a lot worse, but in the long run he'll be good. Here's to making the world a better place!"

"A better place," Judy proudly replied, before turning and bouncing off.

She'd carried on patrolling, nothing more coming up until later that afternoon. There had been a report of a potential domestic incident using a mammal's voice powers, and the ZPD had called her in to provide potential backup. Thankfully, though, it had just been a non-empowered antelope and kudu pair who'd got into an argument. Apparently, he and his husband tended to shout a lot and had just moved into a new neighbourhood. One of the residents hadn't got the memo. They were left with a noise citation, adding to their total and putting them at risk of a community service sentence.

The argument that happened afterwards sealed the deal.

So, she bounced around at the end of her shift, chuckling at the fact that they didn't even have the 'verbal powers' that everyone had thought they had. It seemed they were just like Nick's mother, if Brittany's reports were true, in that no-one seemed to have told them that they weren't empowered.

Certainly not the weirdest thing she'd seen in her long years of service, and it lifted her mood, fully recovering it from the morning's incident.

.

Back in the present, in Sahara square, she carried on flying through the air. With a final kick she landed at the top of a car park, skipping to a halt and resting her tired feet. The shimmering glow of the climate wall stretched out across the horizon, and the sun was warm and comfy on her fur. A casual check on her watch, and she pressed her earpiece and spoke out. "Permission to come off shift?"

"Permission granted," one of the dispatchers noted, and Judy yawned as she pulled the device out and stashed it away. Out came her phone, a text was sent out, and she jumped over the edge of the wall and fell. A swift kick stopped her halfway down, and another was fired just before she hit the pavement. Her feet landed on terra-firma, and she started on her way towards the meerkat markets. The odd mammal would give her a glance, a few children spotting her uniform and running up to her. With a smile she entertained them, answering the odd question and giving out some high-fives. Being a superhero could be hard work, but she'd be lying if she said it didn't have its moments.

Past them all, and she sat down by an ice cream store at the edge of the souk. Her tail hadn't even touched the seat when she felt a swift breeze as a red blur appeared in the street nearby. It slowed, merging into the traffic, before hopping out onto the sidewalk. Nick, dressed in a gaudy green Hawaiian shirt, some tan slacks and a tie, stood there, smiling as the mammals crowded around him. Just like she had, he was gathering a lot of attention, and as he walked towards her, mammals looked at him and some kids waved. She paused as a young tiger, much larger than him, leaped out and fired a finger gun at him.

"POW!"

Nick froze still, his eyes wide, and a paw went over his heart and clutched it. "OW!" he cried, looking up with his other paw outstretched to the sky. "Not even my healing power can combat that deadly blow!"

The cub shouted with joy, jumping up and down in the air. "I got the evil hustler! I got him!"

"Yes," Nick swooned, a paw sweeping across his brow. He sunk to his knees, his long tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. "Farewell cruel world!"

The little tiger began giggling again, only to be cut off as a shocked looking tigress ran out. "LUKE!" she shrieked, grabbing his paw, and Judy felt a pang of worry as she saw the scene playing on. She looked at Nick, a wave of sympathy flowing through her as…

"-Say sorry right now!" the mother tiger ordered, looking at Nick. "He was treated horribly for a decade, and you're rubbing it in. How would you like it if you got bullied, your teacher thought you did it and sent you to time out, and he came up and rubbed it in?"

"But…" the boy began, only for his mother to cut in again.

"Say sorry, RIGHT NOW!"

He paused, looking back at Nick, and his head tilted down. "I'm sorry Hustler," he muttered out.

The fox, who'd been glancing between the two as the conversation played out, stood up and walked forwards, giving the cub a little pat. "Hey kiddo. Thanks for that." He paused, looking up at the mother and giving a nod. "Good parenting," he told her, before looking down again. "Though I don't mind, little guy. Keep going after the bad guys!"

The upset cub's eyes lit up again as Nick walked away, giving a little wave as he did so, while the pair went off in their own direction, the young one jumping up and down in excitement again. Nick scanned around and spotted Judy, quickly walking over to her. "No need to stand up for me, Carrots!"

"Huh?" she went, pausing as she realised that she was standing up on her chair. A little flick of embarrassment went through her, and down she sat again. "Sorry, but you shouldn't have to go through that."

"He's a kid," Nick said with a shrug, as he jumped up onto his chair. Judy smiled as he sat down there, relaxing a little, though it still bugged her for some reason.

"Still," she began.

"Even if it gets to you," he interrupted, leaning forwards. He pointed forwards, towards her, with one paw, while the other pulled out a pair of aviators and opened them with a swift flick. "Never let them see that it does," he continued, slipping them onto his muzzle.

The bunny smiled, even giving a little chuckle.

"Anything funny?" Nick asked teasingly, leaning forwards.

"You were just being very action heroey there," Judy pointed out.

"And you're not blown away by my awesomeness! -For shame…."

"Nick," Judy began, pointing at his outfit. "That and badassery don't…" she paused mid-sentence, one of her eyes twitching with confusion. "Don't normal clothes burn up when you super speed."

A sly smile came over the fox as he pinched one of his sleeves. "I got _all_ my favourite outfits remade. This is flame-proof super strong Kevlar fluff. Next time a mammal tries to shoot at me, the bullet will stay on the outside! I still live, but no stains! Super badass!"

"Oh," Judy replied, leaning forwards to feel the clothing. "The material is probably super cool," she began, before looking up, a sly smirk coming over her. "I can't really say that for what you've done with it."

He moved his head, probably rolling his eyes behind those specs. "It's more style than most mammals I see around."

"Yes," Judy began, sitting back down again. "'Style'," with finger quotation marks added. She leant over to pick up a menu, opening it up. "Where did you get the funds to do that, anyway?" she asked curiously, as she looked around the menu before admitting that she was here for the vanilla and toffee carrot cake sundae.

"That's kind of what this meetup is about," Nick began, giving a brief glance at his own menu. Judy put down hers and looked at him, curious. He'd texted her earlier, asking if they could meet up, and she'd agreed to do so once her patrol shift was over. Why he wanted to talk though she wasn't sure. She'd found herself both excited and nervous though and listened on as he spoke. "After my pardon, I got back in contact with my old agent… -he'd just started out with me and a few others before, uh… -you know. Anyway, he's got me this massive new bodyguarding contract for this super rich empowered guy!"

"Oh," Judy began, not sure what to think. She paused though, before smiling. "Good for you."

"Yeah," he chuckled, shaking his head. "The pay is crazy too, but it means I'll be moving away from the city a bit."

"Oh," Judy replied, suddenly feeling a little bit down at the news. "Where too?"

"At first, this place near Deerbrook, over in the states," he began. "It'll be a bit tiring, but I can still make it back here in half an hour. Just over a hundred miles or so, nothing I can't do. But then… -who knows? I might be seeing the world."

Judy nodded, before leaning forwards. "Well," she said. "Good for you." She smiled, because of course she'd smile. Yet… -yet a little part of her didn't want to. She brushed it aside. Nick, in his way, had been part of her life for a long time. Maybe it was natural to…

"OH! Will you look at that!"

Judy's ears perked up, and she turned to see an elderly wolf scolding at her. "Excuse me, is there a problem?" she asked.

"A problem! A problem? Of course there is," she hissed, pointing accusingly at the pair. "Just look at you."

Judy paused, looking around. She was at a complete loss to what the problem was, and made it clear. "Listen, if you have a problem with me being here, I'd appreciate it if you just said what it was," she asked, standing up again. She noticed the wolf flinch away, taking a good few steps backwards before pointing towards Nick.

"You're supposed to be catching pests like him," she scolded, jabbing at the fox. Judy glanced at him, the vulpine unreadable behind his specs and simply reading his menu. She thought she saw a little shake of his head, but she ignored it. He didn't deserve this.

"Ma'am," she began. "Mr Wilde here is not a pest, he's…"

"A whole decade he ran around causing mayhem and chaos!" she shouted, as more mammals began turning towards the spectacle. "Running about, here and there, stealing and pranking. And you failed miserably at catching him!" She paused, her voice lowering down into a hiss. "It's like you weren't even trying…"

"Oh, she tried her damnest, believe me," Nick interrupted.

The wolf just harrumphed. "Sure she did! Didn't try to not tear apart the city as she did so, what with her shockwaves here and her shockwaves there! More pain than you're worth."

"With respect," Judy spoke out, "I have pursued and captured numerous empowered criminals…"

"-Oh yes, more empowered," she noted. "Get a little of that crazy space stuff in you, and you all think that you can rule the world or you're the world's mightiest heroes! Heck, most of you have this crazy desire to fire out or enhance those powers, and the damn police don't even lock you up any more when you go crazy trying to do that! You're more bother than you're worth, all of you!"

Judy heard a sharp crack and, looking down, she spotted that her foot had begun to shockwave into the chair as it beat and beat. She looked up again, holding up her paw. "Listen, Ma'am. Firstly, I've helped all branches of the emergency services, and helped bring down many non-empowered criminals as well." She counted one finger off, then moved onto the next. "Secondly, just this morning I dealt with an innocent empowered mammal who was attacked in a hate crime, due to being empowered! He was very lucky to avoid life changing injuries! Thirdly, the urges you're referring to have been recognised as a mental illness for decades, and treatment has long been available and highly effective…"

"Pah!" She snorted. "Just excuses, you empowered looking after your own." She turned and stared at Nick. "He should be behind bars." She looked down at her again. "You should be up at a carrot farm, or maybe in the police if you want to catch criminals. Instead you're all in that corrupt cult up on that hill!"

"Whatever you think of the ZED," Judy spurted out, "Nick Wilde is innocent and pardoned, and has done many selfless deeds!"

"He's still a public menace!" the wolf almost shrieked. "He only got the pardon because you empowered only look after each other. You forget your class, or your species, or where you come from! You just stick together." She paused, huffing, before glaring at Nick. "So, they say you parlayed with the mammal supposed to bring you in, huh? Tell me, if she was trying her hardest, why didn't she get you then?"

The fox slowly turned, looking at her through his jet-black specs. He was completely unreadable, his face as cold and still as stone. "Because she didn't want to harm any civilians, which causing a fight in a crowded mall would almost certainly cause. I could have vanished from there in a flash, but she and a friend asked to parlay. I, being a gentlefox…" He paused, his head tilting down as he pulled down his specs slightly and let a big smirk grow on his muzzle. "-and a bit of a pirate! Chose to accept their offer. Arghhhh!"

The wolf grumbled, her teeth baring as she stared between the two, a venomous look in her eyes. "You empowered are all a menace! Us normal folk are the ones who get everything done while you play about, steal our jobs and control everything behind the scenes!" She paused, her arms crossing. "But it's a good thing the Bellwether is going to teach you that you are normal citizens, just like the rest of us! She's going to bring you all down to our level, and not a moment too soon!"

She turned and marched off, back to her seat. Judy watched her, and the crowd around who'd been paying silent attention. She couldn't help but notice a few stares directed at her, and a large amount more directed at Nick. There were even a few mammals talking to the wolf lady, nodding and such. The bunny turned towards her menu again and sighed.

"I think I've lost my appetite."

"Strange that," Nick commented. "Me too." He paused, thinking. "I think I might be off now," he said. "Arrange things, tell Skye… -maybe that little Sorceress if she's there…"

"Yeah," Judy replied, suddenly feeling more deflated by the prospect. She paused, looking up at the market entrance. "Or we could go around the market or something? I don't know…"

"You know," Nick began, and Judy's ears rose up slightly as he said it. It sounded good. "Why not? For a little bit."

"Yeah!" the bunny chirped. "Hopefully we'll be hungry again in a little while."

She hopped out of her chair, followed by Nick, only to pause as she saw a camel standing in front of them. "You know," he began, speaking out loud to the rest of the café and glaring at the wolf from earlier. "She can have her own opinions, but I think that Enforcer Hopps is a damn good hero! And from what I've heard and seen, the Hustler is a great fella as well." He brought his hoofs together and clapped, and Judy felt her spirits get lifted as most of the café rose up to clap and cheer them as well. She couldn't help but smile, and looked over to see Nick doing the same.

"What happened to never letting them see?" she teased.

The fox pulled down his specs and winked at her. "Even the masters can slip up every now and again," he said, as he looked forwards, proud and happy.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18.**

 **.**

Brittany found herself with Larry often in the next few days. At first, it was asking questions and writing them down. She asked about what he remembered of his mother, asking him to describe her. Having been in care for so long, she wondered whether his 'mother' might have been one of his foster parents. The little squirrel, in between his bouts of running and jumping about, was happy to answer. She was a squirrel, a grey one, so Brittany guessed that this was his biological mother. He only had a few memories of her, but Larry happily told the curious vixen about them.

"We went around the town," he began, pointing through the wall. "And she took me to the mall. We went shopping. She'd ask for sweeties and an ice cream for me, and mammals would give them!"

"What did she look like?"

The squirrel furrowed his brow. "Like my momma!" he scolded, before racing off a bit. Brittany watched him dart about the floor, burning off his energy.

"But I don't know what she looks like?" she pointed out. "Do you know what my mum looks like?"

He emerged from under his table and looked up at her. "She was a grey squirrel, like me… She wore… -white clothes! Or blue!"

"What colour were her eyes?" Brittany asked.

The squirrel paused, before looking away. "I don't know!" he said grumpily, with a stomp of his foot following.

"Do you know what job she had?"

"She… -she was my momma," he said, his voice pausing as he said it. Brittany looked on and closed her eyes, trying to think. Her sister may have only been one year older, but Larry seemed to be a lot younger in many ways. It didn't help that he was stuck here with no other children of his age to…

Her eyes widened, and she spoke out. "Did she ever drop you off at a nursery?" she asked.

"Nursery…?"

"Or a kindergarten, or a day-care," she carried on.

"What are… -what are those?" he asked.

"Places where your mother dropped you off. Other mammals looked after you and other children while she had to do important grown up stuff," she explained.

"You mean a foster home?"

"No," she said with an annoyed sigh, which was quickly replaced with a wave of pity. "A foster home is where they sent you after your mother le… -vanished, and they look after you day and night there. This would be a place where your mother drops you off in the morning and picks you up later." She paused, remembering back to the few little memories she had of going to a place like that. "Did you have a sandpit, or did you play with other kids?"

There was a pause, and Larry scurried over to her. "You mean Jungle Kits?"

Brittany paused, before whipping out her phone and typing into it. Adding the word nursery to the end of the search, her eyes widened as a map with three-day cares appeared. Two in the rainforest, and one out in the meadowlands. "Were there any big trees outside?" she asked. "Did it rain often?"

The young squirrel looked at her and paused, before nodding. "It was in the rainforest district," he said slowly.

"Excellent," she said, before noting down their names. She even glanced at the little kit and gave him a thumbs up. "Good job Larry."

She couldn't help but notice him edge back a bit, as if he was unsure of what to make about the complement. In the end he giggled and pointed at her. "I'm not stupid!" he boasted.

"No. You're not an idiot, you're very helpful," she said, nodding. "I can call these mammals up and see if they know anything about her." She paused, looking over at him. "Do you remember her name?"

"It's Mom!" he exclaimed. "Or Momma!"

Brittany couldn't help but look at him silently for a few seconds, before she leant in. "Did her friends ever call her anything?" she asked.

"Why?"

"Because she has her own name," Brittany explained. She pointed to herself and smiled. "My Mum is called Delilah."

The little squirrel turned and scurried up onto his bed, looking up to her with his head tilted over in confusion. "My… my mother has a girl name too?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"That's… That's…"

"Confusing?"

"What does confusing mean?" he asked and Brittany looked away, rubbing her face with her paws. He really knew absolutely nothing, she noted. No wonder Clawhauser was so busy with him.

"It means it doesn't make sense."

"You mean you don't feel or see it?"

She paused, grunting. He really _really_ didn't know anything.

"That kind of sense is what you see or feel," she explained. "But sense also means that something… something…"

"-You don't know too!" he laughed, giggling.

"-That something works in a way that you understand," she said, making it up as she went along. "So if you drop something, it makes sense that it goes down because of gravity. If you fill a bucket, it makes sense that it gets heavier as more things are in it…" She paused, smiling. She was getting the hang of it, and it felt good. Even better when she spotted him looking on, confused but interested. "So if you take a bucket, put in a heavy thing, and it gets heavier; but you put in another heavy thing, and it then gets lighter… Things aren't supposed to work that way. You don't know why it's doing this, and there's no reason for it to be doing that. It's not doing the thing it's supposed to be doing, _and you don't know why,_ " she said, a prideful flourish at the end. "It doesn't make sense!"

"Uhhhhhh…."

"-Do you know what my powers are?" she asked, suddenly having an idea.

"Cold!" he stated. "-and Ice!"

"Yes," she replied, "but do you know what my original powers were. The only ones I knew I had for years and years…"

"No," he asked curiously, leaning forwards.

She closed her eyes and held her finger forwards, pushing out a little flourish of fire.

"WOAH!" the squirrel yelled, clapping on. "THAT'S AWESOME!"

"Thank you," she chuckled, suddenly feeling very good for herself. She couldn't help but focus her powers, creating a set of glowing spots in the palm of her hand. They spun about and went hotter and colder, before merging into a little butterfly figure. It took all of Brittany's care and finesse, but she sent it fluttering off before it vanished. She finished and bowed as Larry's clapping continued, before she carried on her explanation. "I always knew that I could make or move fire. Then, one day, I was putting out a big house fire and I accidentally made a load of ice!"

"But how?" he asked, pausing as he tried to wrap his head around it.

"I know, it didn't make sense, did it?" she carried on. "Fire and ice are opposites. Why did I suddenly have ice powers? Well, it turned out that my power wasn't creating fire, but controlling temperature! I can go up to hot, down to cold, and suddenly everything did make sense!"

"I… I think I get it," he said, looking away as he scratched the back of his head. He smiled though, and giggled as he looked up to her. "But.. it's all confusing!"

He giggled, and Brittany laughed. "There you go! You've worked it out." She felt a swell of pride, having successfully taught him, and it reminded her with some of her times on holiday with Kinsey. That in itself gave her a good idea but, for now, she was happy to hold down her paw and accept a high five from the little squirrel. The high she felt was so good, it took her a little while to remember what she was originally aiming for.

"So," she continued. "Do you know what your mother's name might be?"

He paused, before turning down and shaking his head.

"What's… what's your full name?"

"Larry Romeo Curly-Q!"

"How do you spell your surname?" she asked, curious. He looked at her blankly, before speaking out.

"I can't write," he said. "Or read that good."

"I'll have to check it with Clawhauser then," Brittany explained, before a new though came over her. "Did your mother call you by that surname?" she asked.

He nodded. "She'd shout 'Larry Romeo Curly-Q', do this! And I'd then do that right away and it felt good doing that… I remember doing that a lot. I liked it with her…" He trailed off as he said the last few words, beginning to sniff "Not like with others…". Feeling a wave of sympathy, Brittany nudged herself over and picked him up. She cradled him and gently hugged him with her paws, even channelling a bit of heat into them to warm them up. He snuggled a bit, and Brittany's eyes went wide as he lay on her warm paw pad and hugged her hand, cosying into it as she stroked along his back with his thumb. "I'll try and find her, I promise," she said, and she meant it. Looking at him, she remembered how scared and confused she'd been when she was young, and promised herself that she'd reunite him with the one he loved, and who loved him. While she wanted to hug him tighter, she backed off, placing him down on his bed even as he looked up to her with wide eyes. She remembered how her feelings and instincts had screwed up her relationship with Sam, and she made sure that she'd be sensible and logical with Larry, not listening to her dumb, crazy, out of control emotions. Deep down, she may have wanted to hug him and spend time with him a little longer, making sure he was happy, but she knew that she had a job to do. She needed to go and find out where his mother was, so she could go and return him back. So, she stood up and turned, giving him a little wave. "I'll be off to chase up those leads now," she said, reaching for his door.

"Can you stay and play!?"

She paused, turning to look back at him.

"It gets boring, and it's fun with you!"

…

"Maybe I can stay a little bit," she said, a little nervous. She shook it off though, given that there was no harm in this. Sitting down, she looked over to a big bookcase. "Want me to read one?"

"They're boring," he said, frowning harshly. "Unless they're fun ones! Like Robin Hood!"

"Oh, you like Robin Hood?" she asked, smiling as she leant forwards.

"Yeah! He's cool! I wish more stories were like his!"

She glanced back to the bookcase, pulling out a picture book with a wolf in a postman uniform in it. A quick glance through showed all sorts of things going on, stopping him from delivering his letter, from tornados to alligators to a volcano. She smiled, looking back at him. "You might like this one," she said.

"But I want to play now…" he whined.

"Well then," she said, leaning forwards. She outstretched her finger and thrust it forwards. "En-garde!"

He jolted back, before turning forwards and giggling. He wrestled her finger, and so their tussling began. Before Brittany got to read the book, he'd scurried all over her and they'd played all sorts of games. She'd loved it though, and it was only the bleep of her phone, warning her about her upcoming patrol shift, that pulled her out of it. She said goodbye, and promised to be back the next day. She was looking forwards to it.

.

.

The next day, she was not looking forward to seeing Larry. After her shift had finished, and she'd washed out the smoke from the few fires that she'd assisted in putting out, she'd looked up the locations of the two rainforest daycares and flown over to them. The first, despite her best attempts to explain the situation, stated that they weren't going to give away personal information like that. She'd tried to ask and push, saying repeatedly that all she wanted was a first name so that she could reunite a child with his mother, but their mouths were zipped shut. The second day-care confessed to having no records going back nearly that long ago. On top of that, the few members of staff who did work there back then stated that they didn't remember looking after a grey squirrel named Larry. Indeed, it was so long ago that he was lost in the long line of grey squirrels that they'd looked after since. In the end, they wished Brittany the best of luck, and she'd flown back to the ZED disappointed. A late dinner had followed, along with a follow up talk with Clawhauser, who'd put up with her venting. The kind cheetah said that they had no records on who Larry's parents were, but he'd keep an eye open and that her idea of looking at the daycares were a good one. He also said thank you, as Larry had really enjoyed hanging out with her. So, Brittany went to bed that night with mixed feelings, happiness and disappointment, and the next morning she was worried how Larry would take the news as she opened the door to his room.

"POW"

She flinched back as she heard something hit the door and, opening it further, she spotted the little squirrel kit hiding behind the post of his bed. He had a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Any reason you're trying to shoot me?" She sassed, the squirrel chuckling back.

"I'm playing soldier!" he shouted, before he bounced off and around.

"You like playing soldier?" she asked, as she watched him climb and clamber over a shelving unit, staring over the top.

"Soldiers are cool!" he proudly boasted, before holding out his fingers. "POW-POW-POW! Die bad guys!"

"Did Clawhauser teach you about the Second World War recently," she asked, curious.

"No…" he grunted. "Only boring math. It's dumb!"

"… -If I have three tanks, and the enemy has nine tanks, how many bad tanks do each of my tanks need to kill?"

….

"ALL OF THEM!" Larry shouted, before pointing out his finger. "POW! POW!"

Brittany looked over deviously, holding out her arm. "BOOM!"

"PEW-PEW-PEW!

The vixen stood up, stretching her arms out, and flew towards him. "NEEEOOOOWWWWWWWWW!"

Larry's eyes widened, and he jumped off the top of the shelves, landing hard on the floor. He rolled, and began bouncing off, only to get caught up in Brittanny's paws. "You're my prisoner now," she boasted, holding him tight before he could try to escape. He squirmed and wiggled, but she held him firmly, and soon he stopped trying.

"…Could I fight in World War Two?" he asked, and Brittany couldn't help but laugh.

"That was eighty years ago," she said slowly, before shaking her head. "Besides, it's not fun being in a war."

"It sounds fun! You get to shoot enemies."

Brittany sighed, shaking her head. "But it's really scary," she said, looking away. "Not too long ago, a nasty empowered mammal tried to kill me," she explained. "And it's horrible and scary…."

"Oh," the little squirrel sighed. "What happened to him?"

"I…" Brittany began, not sure how to carry on. She thought about it for a second, before shaking her head. She wasn't going to lie or deceive a child, not after what she'd been through. "He had me and all my friends pinned down and was about to kill us all, but I was able to hit him with a fire beam and burn him to dust."

"WOAH!" the little squirrel gasped. "Can you show me?"

Brittany's ears went back, and she placed him down and looked into the centre of the room. She didn't have her wand with her, but she focussed her power and let out a shot of fire. "Like that, but a million times more," she explained, turning back to the squirrel.

"…You'd of been great in World War Two," he said, earning a laugh from Brittany.

"Maybe," she replied, bringing out her phone. She typed in a name she remembered from her history lessons and brought up a list of articles. She showed it to Larry, and he looked on curiously at the coloured picture of parading mammals, predominantly arctic and forest dwelling ones, though there was a wide mix, all dressed in white uniforms. Some of them carried a standard, a white flag with a dark blue cross on it. "Do you know who they are?"

"Soldiers?" he asked.

"They're the SVP, a team of empowered mammals who defended their country from the Soeviets at the start of the war," she explained. Their full name was the 'Suomenia Valtuutettu Puolustuspalvelu', though he didn't need to know that. "You see this war was the first one in which the empowered played a big role. The meteors landed before the First World War, but the first empowered were only old enough to go into the army right at the end."

"Did they super super beat the bad guys?" Larry asked, looking at the pictures of the soldiers.

"Oh, they most certainly did," Brittany agreed, nodding. "You see, the Soeviets were led by a deer named Stagen, and before the war he killed a lot of mammals in his country. He starved the sheep farmers in the Ewekra, and forced loads of the predators to move to work camps in places like Yakahztan…"

"He doesn't sound nice!" Larry said defiantly. "Why did he do that?"

Brittany paused, thinking back. History was never one of her best subjects. "He believed in getting rid of mammals who he thought were rich and had stolen from poorer mammals…"

"-So he was like Robin hood?"

"Not quite," she said, trying to remember her history. "All you had to be was a bit richer, like you had a farm with a tractor or something, and then he believed that you'd 'stolen' from others and were an enemy."

"That sounds dumb!" the squirrel said loudly.

"It was," Brittany agreed. "But he was also paranoid…"

"-what does that mean?"

"He thought lots of mammals were after him. Going to kill him, or take his job."

"Maybe he should not have been so mean!"

Brittany laughed, before shaking her head. "That would have helped. But he also killed all his best soldiers, and many of the officers who helped the army work. He thought they might be enemies. Most of their best soldiers were predators, who he sent to those work camps because he thought all predators stole from prey farmers, so they lost them. But the dumbest thing he did was go against empowered mammals like us!"

"Nasty Stagen!" Larry grunted. "Being empowered is super cool!"

"Well, many of the empowered fled to places like the four Amber States and Suomenia," Brittany carried on. "And in the first winter of the war, Stagen decided to invade and take over Suomenia!"

"No! Did they blow him up!?"

Brittany smiled a little. "Oh, did they," she said proudly. "They'd trained all their empowered up, and in the first week they helped to destroy all his tanks and planes!"

"WOAH!" Larry shouted, jumping up and down. "POW! POW! POW!"

"It helped that they had some really powerful empowered," she said. "One was able to create snow storms that buried his army in place, then freezing cold rain followed by more snow, to make them too cold to fight. All their guns and trucks got frozen up with ice! They also went behind the enemy lines, and smashed up all their big guns and airfields. They destroyed all the bridges that let soldiers move to the fighting, cut a major railway needed to supply a huge chunk of his army, and in a week a special team was able to kill Stagen and all his generals!"

"GO GOOD GUYS!"

Brittany smiled, moving on and finding some more pictures. "It didn't take long for the Suomenian army to take Lemmingrad," she said, pointing towards a map. "Which was the Soeviet's second biggest city. Then the Amber states joined in, and they took Mooscova in the summer!"

"That taught them not to be bad to us!" the squirrel said, scurrying up onto Brittany's shoulder to look at more of the pictures.

"They made the Soeviets give them Lemmingrad and all the land north of there, let the Ewekrons have their own country, along with those living south of the Caucan mountains," she said, pointing at a map. "And the Soeviets had no leader, lost most of their army…" she carried on. "Which was bad news when the Axis, with their Übermammal brigades, attacked!"

"GO AXIS!" Larry cried. "GET THE BAD GUYS!"

.

…

"The Axis were the ones we fought, Larry," Brittany pointed out. "They were also the bad guys."

….

"Oh," the squirrel replied, looking away slightly. "That's… confusing."

"Isn't it always," Brittany replied. She went back onto her phone and looked up a few videos, quickly opening up one about the beach landings in northern Furance. The little squirrel looked on curiously, sometimes shouting and making gun noises, or imitating a plane. He cheered at a mention of the small Zootopian divisions, volunteers who'd chosen to join the UMS, that assisted in the landings on Ewetah beach, and clapped even more when a Zootopian empowered was able to draw up the water out of the ocean and send it flooding into one of the overlooking bunkers. He gasped as a metal orb appeared, and the allied mammals went running for cover as their guns began to fly out of their hands and back towards the ocean. Landing craft and tanks were flicked about, as the narrator talked about Mark-Möle Schmidt, one of the most powerful Übermammals. "Enforcer Wolfard has similar powers to him, but less powerful" Brittany pointed out. Larry looked on in awe, urging the allied empowered to fight back, only to pause as the magnet powered onslaught ground to a halt. Debris fell out of the air, along with the attacker too. He fell out of the sky and hit the water, and the camera cut to show soldiers pulling the badly injured mole out on a stretcher.

"What happened!?" the squirrel gasped.

"Our secret weapon," Brittany explained, as the narrator carried on. The video flicked to a large, nondescript ship. Inside, it had masses of generators, and the camera zoomed on to a strange rock in the middle of all sorts of equipment.

"What is that?" the squirrel asked, curiously, as the narrator simply described it as a joint UMS-Zootopian anti-empowered field generator.

"It's a bit of the meteors that created the empowered," Brittany explained, her voice taking on a mystic tone as she told the story. "Almost all of them landed in Zootopia, and if you put a ton of electricity through them you can create a field that turns off a mammals' powers," she explained. "They let us beat the Übermammals and win the war."

"Do we still have them?" Larry asked.

Brittany paused, thinking. "Zootopia owns most of the meteors, but we rent them out to others. Most of them get used for empowered prisons, though some get put on ships in the UMS or UN navy, which we can send out to war zones to provide cover…"

"Or put on tanks!" Larry interrupted. "Their powers don't work! BOOM!"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "You kind of need a giant power plant to do anything with them," she replied. "That's why we put them on ships… -and used other empowered to deal with empowered criminals."

Larry nodded, and began to ask more questions. The vixen couldn't help but notice how curious he was, even if it was all about war and death and violence. Boys would be boys, she guessed. Then again, he wasn't pressing about his mother and her lack of progress. She'd mostly forgotten about that though, only remembering it a little later. But there was something else that day that she hadn't forgotten about and, as the time approached and a text arrived, she stood up. "Want to come with me, Larry?"

"Why….?"

She smiled, noticing how cute he was acting as she patted her shoulder, inviting him up to it. "There's some mammals I'd like you too meet, and one I'd think you could be friends with."

He looked on curious, as she led him out.


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

.

"BRITTANY! BRITTANY!"

"Hello there, sweetie," Brittany replied, rushing forwards as she saw the familiar face in the lobby. Racing forwards, she opened her arms and jolted back as Kinsey practically pounced into her, the two embracing. The elder vixen couldn't help but hug her little sister tight, giving her the odd soft kiss and the occasional head ruffle as she did so. It hadn't been long since the holiday, and with all that had been going on at the ZED there'd been plenty of phone calls and muzzletiming in the meantime. Still, nothing beat being with her in person. Slowly but surely though her arms began to ache and she eventually let her go, before turning to her parents. A smile grew on her muzzle as she saw them and she walked forwards, bringing them together in a comforting embrace. She lingered there, enjoying their warmth and scent and just the fact that she could hold them, before eventually letting them go. Both of them looked at her fondly, before her mother spoke. "It's good to see you dear."

"It really is," her father added, before he paused and looked up. "And I'm guessing that this guy here is Larry. Hello there!"

Brittany's ears perked upwards, and she looked over to see the squirrel perched on her shoulder, looking around a bit lost and confused. "It is," she replied. She softly petted him with one of her fingers, before pointing at her family. "He's Nigel, my father. That's Delilah, my mother. And, over there," she carried on, turning towards Kinsey. "Is my little sister, Kinsey."

…

"Are you gonna say hi?" she asked, both at Larry and her sister. They stared blankly at each other, before Kinsey broke the silence. "Oh… -Hi…?" She said, pulling up a paw and giving a little wave.

Larry's eyes narrowed deviously, before he pulled out one of his paws, aiming it at Kinsey. "PEW-PEW-PEW!"

Kinsey's eyes narrowed deviously, before she reached out one of her paws and began clutching it in a grasping motion at him for a little bit before giving up, flicking it down in frustration. The squirrel chuckled, only to stop as Brittany reached up with a paw and place one of her claw tips on his head. "Be nice to them," she warned, before they all walked off to the canteen. They quickly got their food and settled down, Larry happily munching through an acorn salad while the others ate and talk.

"Is there any way we can help?" Delilah asked, thinking back to what she'd heard about Fangmeyer's proposals. "We could talk to her, explain how it might help."

Brittany nodded, pausing in thought. "Thanks for the offer, but I think it'd only help with the rules around younger children. Nothing with the older ones."

"What do they think of it all? Are they for or against?" her mother asked, curious.

Brittany sighed back. "I'm not really sure. I've asked a few, most think it's a good idea. But it'd also be asking the parents and stuff, and I'm not sure how to do that. I was kind of thinking that organising a big outing for everyone would fun, though I don't know how to do that… -or where to go." She paused, bringing her phone out and opening up a page. "I mean, I could go around the aerospace museum again, -without being all homeless and getting into another battle with a rogue empowered coyote this time. That would be pretty cool." Her parents looked at each other with alarm as she said it, though she paid them no mind, happily carrying on. "Or there is this two-for-one deal. Get a tour of the Grand Kula Dam power houses and ship locks, and get a tour of the climate works thrown in for free," she parroted. "See where enough energy to power a continent is generated, and then see where most of it is used up!" She sighed though, shaking her head. "But I don't think that's the kind of thing that most mammals would be interested in," she noted, looking down to Kinsey. "I mean, what do you think?"

The little vixen just sat there, not eating her food but staring intently, her brow all furrowed up, at a spoon she was holding.

"Kinsey?"

She shook slightly, dropping it down and looking up at Brittany. "What?"

The elder sister chuckled and shook her head. "Oh, forget it."

"Forget what?"

"Never mind," Brittany replied.

"What!?"

"Yeah. WHAT!" Larry shouted out, joining in.

The two were too much for Brittany, and the vixen finally caving in and explained it all. "I just wanted to do a big meetup of all the students and their parents somewhere, and see if they wanted those changes I wanted to make. I was just wondering what you think."

"A party would be nice," she said, smiling before turning back to her spoon, her face going all determined again. Brittany couldn't help but chuckle at how grumpy it looked, before turning back to her parents. "I don't suppose you know anyplace we could use or something."

Delilah's eyes opened slightly, and a grin grew on her face. "Actually, I do!"

"Really!?"

"Yes, I…" She was cut off as Brittany jumped forwards across the table and embraced her, hugging her tight. Delilah, after a little pause, hugged her daughter back before letting her slip away. "My current workplace supplies a lot of kitchen equipment to schools and restaurants, and we recently did a big Anihonese restaurant."

"Ooooh, -never tried that before."

"Well," Delilah carried on. "It looked very nice, and they gave my company a load of free coupons for big dining parties as a reward for a job well done. About ten or so offering half price for groups up to twenty. We get loads of things like this, and they usually get auctioned off for next to nothing or sold off for a few bucks to those who want it... I could get some for you."

Brittany nodded eagerly, even radiating slightly with a happy warmth. "Yes-yes-YES! That's perfect! Thanks so much!"

"It's nothing dear," Delilah replied, shaking her head. "We owe it to you."

"Well, if there's any way to repay you…"

"-She could help out with that dumb teacher!" Kinsey piped in, only to be interrupted by her mother.

"That's all sorted now," Delilah said firmly. Kinsey nodded, before turning back to her spoon again. Brittany looked at her, then at Larry, who was still munching away it his food, before she turned back to her parents as curiosity got the better of her.

"What's this about a dumb teacher?"

They both coughed, their ears folding back, as they looked at each other nervously. She smiled, putting her trust in them, though she couldn't help but fail the faintest of faint bits of nervousness. While she'd never been on a plane, it was like a little niggle one might get as the engines roared to life at the start of a runway, even if you were a seasoned flier. "Guys…" she began, a faint wavering in her voice

"I'll explain," her father said to her mother, turning to look at her as he did so. He spoke firmly but nervously, before looking at Brittany and clearing his throat, carrying on. "Kinsey had a little trouble with a teacher at her school," he began, clearing his throat as he did so. "Just an innocent misunderstanding… -we could probably look back at it and laugh." Brittany was about to interrupt, asking about why it was such an awkward issue, only for her father to continue. "Remember back in your old primary school, where the classes would have a little chat at the start of the year about what everyone did over summer."

"Yeah, I…" she began, only to pause as her eyes went wide. She looked over to Kinsey, still staring madly at her spoon, then back at her parents. "Oh my…"

"Yeah," Delilah nodded. "We asked her to keep quiet about finding out about you before she broke up. But that was a long time ago, and she goes to a different school than you did, so when she was asked about what she did over summer…"

"Oh," Brittany began, looking away. "Guess everyone learnt. Must have been embarrassing…"

"Actually," he father began, "when she told her class about her 'secret empowered sister' who turned up, and was mad that we'd abandoned her with the government as you scared us with your fire powers…" There was a cough, and he tugged at his collar. "The teacher told her that she didn't need to make up stories, and she should just tell the truth. And Kinsey firmly said that it was the truth, and they'd been to the ZED to apologise, and had to hide from a supervillain who her sister incinerated, which really upset her so she went and hugged her… -And the teacher then told her to sit back down and not to make things up, which really made her angry. She then went on about how you'd become a super fire mammal, and had been working on being friends with us again, and how you we went on a cruise… -At this point, she had her break taken away and was told she was really naughty for lying, which really upset her."

"I can imagine," Brittany replied, looking at Kinsey, still focusing on her spoon, with a wave of sympathy for the poor little kit. She leant over and petted her head, fondling with one of her ears, and she looked up and smiled. They enjoyed their little petting session as Nigel, who's ears had drooped down, carried on.

"Well, Kinsey, bless her heart, carried on arguing and saying that you existed and telling the teacher what you'd been up to. And the teacher got more and more angry, until she sent her, all up in tears apparently, to the head's office. She was looking at a suspension…"

"Oh gosh."

"And we got a call."

"I went in," Delilah said, taking over. She fumbled with her thumbs slightly, glancing away. "Heard it all from the teacher and the head as I comforted her, and then the teacher sort of jokingly said, 'You're probably just as mad as us, given how badly she made you look in that crazy story of hers'." Brittany let go of Kinsey and held her mother's paw as she carried on. "I told them that it was all true and gave them the basics. Learning about the apartment fire and being homeless, sending you off as we tried to recover and were hit with the lawsuit, learning about my pregnancy and seeing your father so scared… realising he was traumatised… -making the wrong decision." She looked down, humiliated. "I got them to agree to give Kinsey a pass, but I could feel them judging me and…"

"-I should have gone in," Nigel interrupted, holding a paw out to comfort his wife. "It was my fault… It's all on me, I… -I deserved that, not you."

…

The silence held for a few moments, until Nigel let out a choked laugh. "I'll say this though…" he said, looking up at Brittany. "There's so much of you in her. You're so strong willed and…" He paused, before shaking it off and huffing, looking down. Delilah went in to comfort him, patting him on the back, while she turned to glance at Kinsey. The little vixen still staring at her spoon. Brittany couldn't help but laugh.

"She sure is determined. What's up with that spoon Sis?"

Kinsey paused, looking up at her, only to jolt as Larry came and jumped onto her paw, staring into the spoon. "It's just a spoon!" he said, only to yelp a little as he felt his footing pulled out from beneath him.

"Get off me!" Kinsey ordered briskly, before rubbing her wrist a few times, brushing it off. Larry looked on and smiled, before bouncing forwards a few times and leaping onto her.

"ARGHHH!"

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"LARRY!" Brittany yelled, as the little squirrel began clambering around Kinsey. The little vixen leapt off her chair, and frantically tried to knock him off and catch him, only managing to dance around in fear.

"Get him off me!" she began to cry, as Brittany and her parents ran over to help. She was shouting at Larry to stop but he ignored her cries. They had no choice but to reach in, Delilah eventually grabbing him and pulling him off. Kinsey was sniffing slightly but looked at him with renewed anger as Delilah and Brittany stared at him.

"Say sorry to my daughter RIGHT NOW!" she ordered.

Larry just turned his nose up. "NO!"

Brittany was about to speak, only to be cut off by Kinsey. "Why did you bring that horrible squirrel here?!" she sniffed, standing off against Larry.

The older sister sighed, pinching the brow of her muzzle, making sure to take a few calming breaths and to make sure her powers were all reigned in, before speaking out. "He's the orphan I told you about. I thought that it might be a nice idea to have him play with you since he's got no-one his age to be friends with…" She looked at him and couldn't help but feel disappointed. "He still has a few lessons to learn about playing nice it seems," she said, harshly.

"But it was fun…" he began, only for Delilah to interrupt.

"Not for her it wasn't."

"You know you should ask people before you start climbing on them," Brittany added. "Now say sorry, and maybe you can play a little later…"

"I don't want to play with him," Kinsey said defiantly, which only angered Larry further.

"You're just boring!" he said, as he tried to wiggle out of Delilah's grip.

"Little-Big Meany!"

"Poopyhead!"

"Larry!" Brittany barked, making him pause for a second. She sighed with disappointment. "At this rate I'll have to have enforcer Fanghanel use his powers to make you two get along!" she warned.

…

"Wait, how does that even…" Nigel began, only for Brittany to cut him off.

"It's surprisingly effective in siege situations. He's also a qualified negotiator, so whenever we or the ZPD have a bad hostage situation they call him in."

"… Oh! THAT Fanghanel!"

"Yes," Brittany began, before looking to Larry and her sister. She seemed okay, so she turned to Larry, a frown on her face. "Listen. I'm trying to help, okay? Don't you want someone your age to play with?"

"I…" he began, only to pause as his eyes widened. Brittany noticed them quiver slightly, even water, before he stared at her furiously. "I want my Momma!"

"I…" she began.

"YOU SAID YOU'D FIND HER! YOU SAID…"

"I tried, I'm still trying," she tried to say.

"-NO YOU'RE NOT!" he screamed, his mouth opening wide as tears began to flow from his eyes. "NO YOU'RE NOT! YOU'RE NOT!" he looked around at her family, before staring back at her. "YOU'RE REPLACING HER! YOU'RE REPLACING HER WITH YOU AND YOUR DUMB STUPID FAMILY!"

"Larry," she urged, running in to comfort him. She never got the chance, as he bit down on her mother's paw. She screamed and let him go, and he raced down to beneath the table, dodging attempts to catch him. Up he went, onto the top, where his mostly eaten acorn salad lay. All the nuts were gone, but a single kernel of sweetcorn remained. Brittany watched him put it in his mouth, and…

"ARGHHH!"

She winced back as a sudden pain screamed out of her left eye, leaving it stinging. Her eyelid closed, and her paw went up over it, but she couldn't help but tumble back and fall over. It stung badly, and she winced and whimpered as she managed to open her other eye, as she saw a few members of staff run over. Unsteady on her feet, she was helped up by her father, sniffing as she tried to blink a few times, the injured half of her vision briefly returning as this blurry mess.

"Want to find a doctor or…"

"Hang on," she relied, as she saw a cup of water and stumbled towards it. Closing her eyes, she worked as hard as she could to channel some peace and cold in her before pushing it into the water. The cup froze solid, and she held it up to her hurt eye and held it there, savouring the brief respite from the pain it gave.

A breath in.

A breath out.

"You good, darling?"

"Fine," she noted.

"You let out a little fire back there… he got you good."

"Got me…? What…?" she asked, confused.

"He fired that bit of sweetcorn right into your eye," he noted, looking over to the table. Delilah had managed to trap him with a glass on top of the salad plate, and Brittany watched as Enforcer Wolfard picked him up and took him off, probably back to his room or to Clawhauser. "I… -You are so brave to deal with him, I… -I just can't help but think of the damage he could do with a stone or an acorn or…"

"I didn't know what his power was," she muttered. "I'll probably wear some goggles around him from now on."

"Yeah," Nigel said with a little laugh, "You're braver than I am, I…" He went quiet as he guided her back over to their table, setting her down on a chair. He briefly glanced up at Kinsey, who was staring at where Larry had gone and was holding her paw out, clutching it as she looked on furiously. "I…" Nigel began, only for his eyes to widen. "Oh, of course…! -Uh, Kinsey?"

She stopped and looked up at him. "Is that squirrel gone?"

"He is," he said. "But no force choking please…"

"Even against him?"

"Yes dear."

"But he hurt…"

"-I know," he interrupted. "But no force choking. Okay?"

"Okay," she sighed, before looking over at Brittany. "Are you hurt bad?"

"I'm fine," Brittany sighed, still feeling the ache from her eye. The ice helped though.

"You want a hug?"

A smile came over her. "Yes please."

Kinsey walked over and jumped up into Brittany's lap, her arms quickly coming around her midsection. The older sibling couldn't help but return the favour with her one free arm. They held it like that for a little bit before they both let go, Kinsey staying in her lap. She looked extra determined, pulled out her spoon again and stared into it. Brittany just looked on and laughed. "She into Star Paws?" she asked, looking up at her father. "Guess I can buy her a Darth Grazer helmet or something."

There was a laugh from Nigel, which trailed off.

A strange silence followed, and as Brittany registered it through the throbbing pain of her eye she felt her father slip his paw into hers and hold it.

She turned to him, and he closed his eyes and spoke out. "If you're going to be mad…" he began, nervously finding the words. "That's fine, okay… -I deserve it. It's okay…"

"Mad?" she began to say, a wash of worry coming over her. "D-Dad…" she stuttered nervous, "what…"

"I told Kinsey about her powers. She knows."

…

"Oh," she replied, her eyes opening a little in surprise. She looked over at Kinsey, still focusing on her spoon, and… "AH! Of course, the spoon!"

Kinsey turned up to her, her cute little face turning the determinedness up to eleven. "I'm gonna bend it!" she proudly boasted.

"Sure, you…" she began, before pausing. She looked up at her father, confused. "Why did you think I'd be mad…?"

He took a deep breath in and let it out, scratching his head as he looked away. "Well, I…"

"If it's about not talking to me about it, that's okay," she pointed out. "Though I'm curious about why you chose to tell her."

Delilah spoke up. "We think her powers might have gone off on the cruise, on the last full day."

"They say I knocked a spoon off a table! With my mind!" Kinsey boasted.

"We're not sure," her father clarified. "One of us might have caught it with our clothes, or it might have slipped, or… -but I decided to face it up and tell her." There was a pause and a pained laugh, as his ears folded down and he looked shamefully at the floor. "I'm pretty sure karma gave her those powers, all on the long list of things I deserve for stealing your teen years… -I'd better start paying it back before she adds more, I figured."

Brittany couldn't help but feel a wave of pity and leant over to put her paw on his shoulder. He barely noticed it. "Why would I think I'd be mad about that?" she asked. "You… -you shouldn't beat yourself up about it, it sounds wonderful for Kinsey to…"

"-Yes, to Kinsey," he pointed out, before sighing.

"But you're learning, you're…"

"And you were the one who had to suffer for my mistakes," he interrupted, holding her paw back. "I… -I did what I did because I was scared, and I thought that you might have a power accident when you heard… or get really upset if you knew but weren't allowed to come home… -and if you were home, a simple power accident could happen, and she could get injured and you'd have to live with that! I thought we could lead this double life, and when it turned out we couldn't, you were the one we had to leave! But… -but I was wrong! Being with you… -I've realised that none of that would have happened." There was a sniff, then another. "I screwed you up for no reason… -We could have lived together, and you'd be with us and get to see your sister grow up… -And I need to make it up for you." He gripped her a bit tighter, breathing in and out before carrying on. "I have to make it up to you! To give you the same kind of treatment I'm trying to give Kinsey and more! But… -but here I'm going on and encouraging her powers like I never encouraged yours! Treating hers like a gift, when I treated yours like a curse, and I just can't help but think that you feel like we love her more than you… -treat her better…"

…

"You're learning," Brittany sniffed, not just from the pain of her eye. "I'm not going to be mad about this."

"I feel like you should be," he muttered. "Because here I'm going on, just putting another notch in that old tally… -Just treating her more like a favourite…"

"But she's not," Brittany interrupted, holding him tight. "Isn't she…?" She noticed that her mother had come over and was telling him not to beat himself up about it. Her sister was hugging him. He just sniffed, a little tear tracking down from his eye. "You were just scared… -and if I made you feel like Jack made me, I…" She paused, looking down, not sure how to finish that sentence.

"Had I encouraged your powers," he began, shaking his head. "Got you to practice in a safe place here and there, nurtured you like I should have… -rather than just telling you not to play with fire…" There was a short choke, almost a pained laugh. "Maybe when I'd have seen that fireball I wouldn't have panicked and startled you… -Or you wouldn't have dropped it, or been able to put it out…"

…

"I thought it would all be okay now," he muttered. "But I just feel that I need to be punished for my crimes more and more, I…"

"-Hey," Brittany interrupted. "I forgave you, remember?"

"I know," he said, looking up and nodding. "But I can't forgive myself…"

…

There was a pause, and Brittany winced slightly as a pain came from her eye. She tried opening it, only to blink a few times, before gritting her teeth and standing up. "Come on, let's find Dr Honey-Badger," she said. "And if he has some time, Benji could help you out." There was a warmth in her voice as she said it, taking her father's paw in her own. "-He's good like that," she said with a smile. "And I love him, and would have never met him had I stayed at home…"

.

.

.

The visit to the small ZED medical clinic was quick and painless, bar the pain in Brittany's eye of course. The kind vet, another one of Brittany's dear friends at the ZED, held open her affected eye and washed it out with some distilled water. "Now. How did you get this injury?" she asked.

"I was looking after Larry, he got mad, and spat a bit of sweetcorn into it."

"Well, we're lucky it isn't an acorn then," she noted. "I remember poor Callie coming in, she got one of those in her eyes. It wasn't good."

Brittany nodded as the vet finished up, handing her an ice pack.

"Did Clawhauser suggest that you look after him? It made sense with Callie, given that she doesn't have any real duties… But you've got your ones, and a lot less time for him…"

"I learnt about him and decided to try and track down his mother," she noted. "And see if I could make friends with him. He got angry though, thinking I was trying to replace her when I suggested he play with my sister." She pointed over to Kinsey, the vet briefly glancing over and nodding.

"You do understand that if she chose to give him up, and doesn't want any contact, there's nothing we can do about it?"

"I…" she began, before looking down. "We can let him know. He deserves to know… -I learnt that he went to a daycare with a certain name in the rainforest district and tried tracking them down, asking them if they knew a squirrel with the last name 'Curly-Q', but…"

"-Curlyque," she noted. "It's a not too uncommon squirrel surname. I'm not sure what standard searches will do or anything."

"Know any 'non-standard' searches or anything?" Brittany joked.

The vet looked at her, silent an unresponsive for a few seconds, before she turned away. "While it might have been quite painful, and could have caused some damage, I'm glad to say that your eye should be fine."

"Thank you," Delilah chimed in. Brittany got off the bed she was on and bristled out her fur, glancing at her family. She laughed slightly as she saw Kinsey, still focussing on her spoon.

"Still trying to bend that, aren't you?"

"Dad said I can move stuff with my mind, I'm gonna!"

Another laugh came, before Brittany paused. She thought back, and her eyes widened. "I think you're doing it wrong."

"Huh?"

"Bogo said that you could control things with your mind, usually lots of little things rather than fewer big things. -That and you needed to practice really hard with it, exercising to get good."

"You're right," Nigel interrupted, his eyes going wide. "Kinsey, why don't you put it down on the table and try to move it with your mind?" She did so, her eyes straining as she grunted on focussed, even pushing her arm out as she tried to make it move.

"I'm pretty sure I spotted some slight quivering," Madge pointed out, "though that could be down to McHorn walking down some nearby stairs."

"Keep on trying," Brittany encouraged, but after a few more seconds with nothing happening, she gave up with a grunt.

…

"Is it size, weight, or mass?" the vet asked, as the others turned to her.

"What do you mean?" Kinsey pondered, as the honey badger began walking over to a draw, pulling some things out.

"Is what you can do limited by size?" she began. "In that case, a small ball made out of wool will take the same amount of effort to move as if it were made of lead." She wandered over to rack of gas cylinders, plugging her item into it and turning a valve to fill it up. It was a balloon. "As for mass and weight, if it's weight then you could probably move things like giant airships, or asteroids out in space. If it is weight that's the limiting factor... If it's mass, then you'll be limited to smaller things." She finished talking and filling up her balloon, tying it up and holding it over the table. It drifted up to the ceiling. "Try moving that around."

Kinsey closed her eyes, breathed in, and focussed. And focussed. And…

"-I MOVED IT!"

She had. It had been pulled down from the ceiling just a little bit, only to float back up again when she broke her focus.

"Try it again," Brittany encouraged, and Kinsey strained and focussed, and the balloon, very slowly, moved down and down until it approached the table and touched it. The balloon then began rising again, a sudden yip coming from Kinsey. She focused as hard as she could, slowing the speed of its rise and making it stop just before the ceiling. She grunted and groaned, as she moved it sideways and down, approaching her as she reached out to grab it and… -POP!

…

She jolted back for a second, before watching as the tattered bits of balloon fell down in front of her, from in between her two outstretched paws. She blinked, then looked at the one and the other, focussing on her claws. "Oh…. -I forgot."

Brittany managed to stifle her laugh, as did the rest of her family, before she ran forwards and pulled Kinsey into a big hug. "THAT WAS AWESOME!"

"I've got powers!" she boasted out loud. "I've got powers, just like you!"

"How were they?" her mother asked. Kinsey, held up against Brittany, turned to look at her.

"It… -If I thought about anything else, then the balloon would float up again. I had to focus really really super hard to make it move."

"But it should get easier," her father pointed out. "If you practice a lot." He paused, breathing in and out, glancing a look at Brittany as he did so, before continuing. "And we can help you. Buy a balloon kit, and maybe use things like paperclips. We can practice a little every day, and you should get better and better at it."

"And," Dr Honey Badger pointed out, "we could do some tests. See if it's mass or weight or size, and some other things."

Kinsey looked to her, then at her sister. "I get to go to the ZED," she whispered, her eyes widening. She shook a little, a big grin growing on her face, as she leapt forwards and hugged Brittany hard. "I get to be like you and go the ZED!"

She didn't see the shocked, almost fearful, look on Brittany's face. The older vixen looked over to her parents and saw that her father's eyes were wide and trembling, staring at her and almost begging for help. What to do, what to say.

"-I get to be like you Brittany! I get to go to super school, and…"

"Wait a bit," she barked slightly, as Kinsey's voice trailed off. She didn't know what to say or do. She knew that if she went to the ZED, her parents would never do what they did to her. But she'd never want Kinsey to go here, even though she loved it. She wanted her to have a normal life. But Kinsey seemed to love the idea of the place. Maybe it was down to her. What could she…

"I have an idea!" her mother announced a bit to loudly, as all eyes turned to her. Delilah looked at Dr. Honey Badger and spoke. "If you're going to test her, you'll want her to be better with her powers than this. Give her some time, right?"

"I presume, it's not really my department. You'd want Karen. Or Bogo… -I wasn't sure before the whole reorganisation, let alone after. I'll have to double check."

"So," she continued, turning to Brittany and Kinsey. "That could give time for your reforms to come in."

Brittany's eyes widened. "And Kinsey could come next summer as part of a summer camp thing!"

"If…" her father began, looking at them both. "If that's okay with you two?"

"But next summer is ages away!" Kinsey complained.

"Or," Brittany began. "We could set up something much sooner… Maybe you come over here every other weekend, or…" Her eyes widened, and a big smile grew on her face. "I've got a pawsome idea! Want to hear it Kinsey?"

"Uh-hu!"

"How about, once my reform ideas are in play, we set up a little set of tests in the lab for you… -and when you come over to visit, you have a sleepover in my room!"

The little vixen gasped and then began wiggling about excitedly. "YES! YES! YES!"

Brittany smiled too. "Yeah! Sleepover!" She couldn't help but look over at her father and nod. She totally wanted this.

So, they left the vet's office and began to make their way down to the test chambers. Brittany had planned to show off her new wand but got caught up on the way down as she spotted Bogo. A quick 'hi' was given, and she walked over to him and asked him how he was. How he was finding things. He happily answered, nothing bad seemed to be coming his way. He had a new walking stick, having undergone his operation. He reassured her that it wouldn't take long to heal, and his leg would be back to normal again. He laughed when he heard about Kinsey discovering her powers and smiled when he heard about the party plan and the sleepover idea. He sighed slightly, however, when he heard about the incident with Larry. She left him, giving the large buffalo a big, warm hug before he went, ready to carry on down to the basement labs.

She paused though, as he called out. "Once your family has gone home, I was wondering if you wanted to spend some time with me? Catch a game, or…"

Brittany froze still, though she kept her powers completely under control, as Bogo trailed off. She turned to face him, a little nervous smile on her muzzle. "You know…" she began, feeling warmer as she looked at him. "That sounds great."

"Knock on my door, anytime," he replied, a wide smile on his mouth.

"Will do!" she replied, turning and heading off again.

"-Oh, by the way…"

She paused, mid-step.

"Keep up the great work," he said. "I can't tell you how proud you're making me."

"Thank you," she replied, turning around and giving a big salute, all while a giant quivering grin was plastered on her face. She felt warm and fuzzy from the compliment and couldn't help but let her tail swish around a lot as entered the lift, went down in it, and stepped out into the testing labs.

She paused, spotting Fangmeyer talking to Karen. The large tiger turned to face her, clearing her throat. "We've got a job for you," she stated, matter of factly.

"-M-kay…"

The tiger pulled out her phone, the size of a tablet to the fox, and handed it to her. She stared down at the news report, a serious forest fire a hundred miles or so north of the Zootopian border, near the city of Haverholt. "It's been burning for a few days," she explained, "but a recent blast of warm air ruined the UMS forest services attempts to contain it. As part of our cross-border cooperation drive, I thought that this would be an ideal opportunity to provide assistance, you being the ideal mammal to provide it. Karen has your equipment ready, and if you go and get changed we'll have it loaded up on the chopper, ready to send you out. Understood?"

There was a brief pause, before Brittany's brow furrowed and she nodded, bringing her arm up into a salute. "Yes commander," she said, before turning to her family. "Duty calls, I'm afraid," she said, before jumping forwards and hugging them tight.

"Do us proud," he mother said.

"Go be a hero," her father added.

"Be awesome… -I love you!" her sister rounded off.

Brittany let go and looked over to her father. "Please don't beat yourself up," she began. "And if you want to help me, go find Clawhauser and tell him about our plan. Maybe help him set it up." He nodded, as she ran to the lift and disappeared.

Ten minutes later, her family all stood at the edge of the campus, Bogo and Fangmeyer joining them. Kinsey looked on amazed as a helicopter slowly spun up, blasting wind out around it. The door opened, and Brittany raced over, turning to face them. "I've never been in a helicopter before," she giggled, looking at it and then back at them. "I love you!"

With the exception of Fangmeyer, they all replied back, though Bogo kept his to a short 'and you too'. They watched as she jumped in and the helicopter took off, turning and racing away, carrying its hero passenger to her mission. She leant out of the window and waved to them as they shrunk and vanished…

.

She never saw the lone police car arrive at the ZED gates.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **.**

A few days later both Commander Fangmeyer and Delilah Voxen were waiting outside the ZED. "I don't have much time left," the latter said, nervously looking at her phone. The large tiger looked at her with a little hint of disapproval in her eyes, only for them to widen as her earpiece chirped. Holding a claw to it and listening, she nodded and looked over at the waiting vixen.

"Well, the good news is that she's arrived at the gates."

Delilah breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Oh thanks…" she said, smiling. It broke off though as she looked up at the imposing tiger. "Though I don't know why she couldn't have gotten the helicopter back?"

"Getting her out there quickly was the priority," the tiger noted, "as was having our air fleet back at base and ready on standby." She turned down and looked at the vixen. "Besides, even though she could fly herself back, I don't know what's so bad about offering a train ticket. In any case, that fire chief offered to drive her over. I don't see the problem."

"I just…"

"We may deal in heroes," Fangmeyer grunted, "but, as I've been rudely awakened to, we're still a government agency, and the taxpayers are very happy to give us not quite enough."

"I…" Delilah began, only to pause and nod her head. "I suppose…" Whatever she was saying trailed off as a massive pickup truck pulled up next to them. It ground to a halt and, as the groan of a hand break pulling back rang out, the driver's door swung open and revealed the driver. He was a great big brown timber wolf, his head fur shaggy and the muscles showing from beneath his fire service uniform.

"This tha' Z-E-D?" he spoke, a thick redneck accent coming through.

"Commander Fangmeyer," the tiger austerely introduced herself, walking forwards. "I presume my agent was of use?"

There was a snort from his nose, his nostrils flaring slightly, as he stared her down. "Y'all don't know how to treat a hero, do-ya?"

"Excuse me?"

"We had a real hum-dinger of a fire up there," he began, pointing in the vague direction of his home. "A real thing from tha' pits o' hell! And then we get a chopper comin' up, bringin' that little vixen. And what she do? She starts gettin' to work. We put her in our 'copter, and fly her to whichever town we think is gonna get turned ta' cinders! She used her little wand and would blast and drag that fire back into the burnt out bits of forest, an' freeze the embers cold! She personally saved six towns, twelve little villages, and a whole lot else! When we weren't hoppin' from town to town, she was killing off the fire front with our crew!"

"That's what we do at the ZED," Fangmeyer noted, only to be cut off by the wolf's paw.

"An' a whole lot more," he lectured, indignantly. "I bet she were up three whole days! Worked through the night, far more than we firemammals on tha' ground. I saw her chuggin' coffee an' energy drinks, not that she seemed to enjoy them very much. She was gaggin' and coughing after each swig and all. Kept her up though, and she's a real hero! Least you could do was give her a 'copter ride back home!"

Fangmeyer blinked a few times. "Well, she's home! I don't see what the issue is?"

"An issue of respect, tha's what!"

"Some on your side would be much appreciated."

The wolf snorted, before turning to Delilah. "You her mother or somethin'?"

"Yes," she replied, smiling. "I wanted to be here for when my little girl got back from her big mission."

The wolf snorted slightly, a warm smile growing on his muzzle. "Well, I can say one thing," he said, walking over to the door to the back seats. "Y'all have a lot to be proud of!"

"I know," Delilah said, paws to her heart as the wolf knocked a few times at the window. He paused, before looking back when he got no response.

"I'm 'fraid she's absolutely outta it. Slept the whole journey!" He chuckled slightly, before pulling the back door open, revealing Brittany in all her lack of glory. Both her uniform and her exposed fur were covered in soot and ash, all grimed up. Shattered by the toll of her three days of continuous work, she was slumped over, her mouth wide open and her long tongue hanging out. Her blonde hair was a tangled-up mess, requiring a full wash and dry. What both Delilah and Fangmeyer noticed first though was that she was sitting in a child's car seat. More specifically, a ' _Luna the Moon Princess'_ car seat, with a similarly branded blanket draped over her, the main character smiling out towards the onlookers. "She looks so much like ma'h little Josie, Y'all know?" the wolf said, smiling fondly as he pointed. "Though ma'h girl don't have that funky hair, and is more a browny red and all."

Fangmeyer looked at him and her eyes narrowed. "Please explain the respect in this?" she said, pointing at her agent. "Towards the hero."

The wolf just rolled his eyes. "Y'all suppose to use proper sized seats, aren't ya?" he noted. "-'sides, she was so tired after we put the fire out, she just climbed up in there and nodded off. Either too worn out to notice, or she thought she'd get a better sleep in it… -I'm pretty much leaning towards camp B there, though maybe camp A had a part to play. I…"

 _SNAP_

The wolf looked down, and saw Delilah with her phone out, taking a few more photos of her daughter's compromised position for good measure.

"Naw tha's just cruel," he noted.

"She disposed of an old baby photo I had of her," Delilah noted, putting her phone away and giving a proud smile. "This is just getting even."

The wolf let out a snort of a laugh. "As ya'll do!" He chuckled a few times, only to pause as he heard a stirring behind her. Brittany, her eyes fluttering slightly, sat up and looked at them.

"Hi Muuu…" she began, before trailing off into a long vulpine yawn, her mouth locking open and her tongue coiling up like a snake. The wolf just shook his head and walked forwards, undoing her restraints and helping her out.

"Here you are, li'l hero. Home, safe and sound."

"Thaaaannkkkkssss," she half-yawned, wobbling on her feet as she stumbled into her mother's paws.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you darling!" she said, hugging her daughter tightly. Brittany hugged back, but not as tight, and she wobbled a bit on her feet as she did so, her eyes drooping closed. "-But I think I'll have to put you to bed and get back home to your father and Kinsey."

"That's…" she began, before trailing off. Delilah grunted slightly as she took her daughter's full weight, looking up at the chuckling wolf.

"I told ya'll she was tired!"

Delilah joined in, even Fangmeyer managing to break a smile.

"How about I take her back to her room?" A fourth voice joined in, and they looked up to see Bogo arrive. He still had a faint limp but had ditched his walking stick.

Delilah nodded at his offer and he picked Brittany up. Cradling her like a baby, he took her back to her room. On the way, he couldn't help but notice that her tongue was peaking out of the tip of her mouth and, as she breathed in and out, she was making an odd sound. ' _Wulluwulluwulla…_ ' A happy smile grew across his face as he entered her room. The bad news he had for her could wait, she needed to rest and relax first. He pulled back her covers and laid her down, tucking her in. He turned to leave, only to pause as he did so.

…

He walked back to her and leant in, hesitating nervously. A clash of feelings and unwritten rules flew around inside him, and he winced away slightly before finally giving in. He leant forwards and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Something he'd had an urge to do for years but had always held back on for professionalisms sake.

That, and fear… Fear that it would end up just like last time, with the last mammal he'd let himself feel this way about.

But neither of those really mattered much anymore and, as he exited her room, he stole one last glimpse of her and whispered his true feelings to the wind. "Sleep tight. I love you."

She stirred slightly and snuggled up in her bed in response, and drifted into a long and deep sleep.

.

.

.

It was in the early hours of the next morning, the sun only just lighting up the sky but not yet over the horizon, that Brittany woke up. She groaned slightly, stepping out and wobbling on her aching feet as she got her bearings. No standard shifts planned for today, she remembered, but that didn't mean that something big couldn't come up and needed her assistance. So, she planned to keep busy, keeping herself on her paw pads. A long shower came first, scrubbing off the dirt and ash that covered and stained her fur. Her used uniform would go in the wash, so she dried herself out and put on some casual wear. A nice pair of leggings and a dress, nothing too fancy. A specific feeling had been coming over her that morning and, reaching over to her desk, she pulled out a chill pill and swallowed it down. She could manage her heat fine without it, noting that this most certainly _was_ heat and she _was_ in it, but a bit of her wanted the easy way out today, albeit not the fun easy way out… Maybe later... Thus, she was then off to a very early breakfast, loading up with food and such, her work having made her very hungry. As she finished up, she noticed Judy walking in.

"Up early today," the bunny sassed.

"I can say the same for you," Brittany joked.

Judy rolled her eyes as she picked up her plate of food, planting herself down by the red fox. "Farm girl," she stated. "Old habits die hard."

"Well, I spent three days up fighting a forest fire, and then the best part of a day sleeping." She paused, and then chuckled. "I guess I'm up now because I'm all sleeped out!"

Judy chuckled too, before shaking her head. "Have to keep busy though, duty calls."

"It certainly does," Brittany noted with an eye roll. She paused though, before looking over at the bunny. "Say… -How are things now that you're not going after the Hustler?"

The bunny paused, looking at her and thinking. "I'd say a lot less frustrating for a start!" she noted, her friend chuckling in response. "And Skye gets a lot of work now, given how powerful she is…" There was a pause, as she thought. "I'd say it's more relaxed… -but I win all my battles now, which is super fun!" She smiled, giving a quick shrug. "It's nice. I've been able to take time off to visit my family and stuff." Brittany nodded as Judy carried on. "And I wouldn't want to fight Nick anymore. I've actually been able to make friends with him. He's really quite nice. Funny too."

Brittany leant in, wiggling her eyebrows up and down. "Don't tell me you fancy him or anything," she joked, only for her eyes to go wide as she saw Judy's doing the same. "-No way…!"

"Nope!" she shot out, panickingly slightly from the shock.

"-I mean there's nothing wrong with…"

"-Totally _absolutely_ not happening..." Judy stated more firmly, but still with an odd hint of nerves in her voice. She looked down and shook her head. "We're... -just friends…. -Just friends," she repeated, telling herself as much as Brittany... _Just friends…_ She couldn't help but sigh though, remembering that said friend would be going soon. "In any case, he's got a job and is leaving town for a bit. Hasn't he told you?"

"I… -no, he hasn't," Brittany stated.

"Hmmm," Judy pondered. "He said he'd be telling Skye. Has she said anything?"

"Don't think so."

"Oh well," Judy noted, turning back to her food. She watched Brittany turn to leave, only for the vixen to pause mid-step.

"Say… -Judy," she began, nervously.

"Uh-hu?"

She fidgeted with her toes slightly, looking down as she did so, before speaking out. "As… -As an enforcer… How do you deal with those moments when… -you think it might by all over, you know?"

Judy's ears drooped down, and she turned, reaching out a paw and taking one of Brittany's in her own. "Honestly… -I don't really feel that way often. Most of the time, I'm helping the ZPD or dealing with untrained criminals or…"

"But how do you deal with it when it happens?" Brittany asked again, holding Judy's paw tighter.

The bunny paused, closing her eyes as she thought, before finally working out what she was going to say. "When I went against Jack, I was scared but confident. I thought I could take him. But when he was about to win, I was scared. More scared than I've ever been…" She paused, closing her eyes and speaking out. "But I'm pretty sure that nothing that bad will come again. I don't remember anything half as scary as that in my career… -It's not really fair that your first intro to this stuff was with him."

Brittany nodded, before stepping forwards and hugging Judy, the bunny returning the favour.

"Why do you ask?"

Brittany looked away slightly, fussing with her feet. "Well… -I just spent a lot of time using my powers to protect people. I did a lot of good. I'm also getting more used to my ice powers…" She breathed in and out, before carrying on. "I chose not to become an enforcer, as I didn't want to kill or hurt anyone… -I… -I still have the odd dream about Jack, just burning… burning and burning and burning at my paws. My fire powers can only hurt and kill when used on mammals," she explained. "But I was thinking, maybe my ice powers would let me help out as an enforcer… -without the risk of harming anyone." There was a pause, before Brittany huffed and shook her head. "Forget about it," she said. "I couldn't cope with being be that scared again… -or risk it."

She stood up, turning to leave, only to realize that Judy kept a hold of her. The bunny stood up and walked forwards, giving her a big hug. "There's nothing wrong with not wanting to fight, or not wanting to put yourself in danger. You hear me?"

"I know," Brittany said firmly, her bottom lip quivering. "I get to use my powers for good, on my own terms. No-one else's."

"Exactly," Judy noted, looking at her and smiling. "Besides, we've got so many mammals who can fight. Meanwhile, you can go out and save whole towns from forest fires."

"Yeah!" the vixen said proudly, crossing her arms and smiling.

Judy looked on and playfully punched her in the arm. "But if you ever want to be an enforcer, even if it's just helping out here and there, you just have to say."

"I know," Brittany said. "Thanks Judy."

"You're welcome."

She turned to leave, only to pause by the door as the bunny called out. "-By the way," she said. "Fire isn't all destructive. I've seen it used to sterilise equipment, and many years ago, mammals used it to cauterize wounds… -just saying."

Brittany listened on, turning back and nodding, before walking out. She found herself in the test labs after that, practicing with her wand. Most of it was moves with the cold function, as she tried to carve out ice restraints and stuff. She tried pulling up pillars of ice around the practice dummys, restraining them to the ground. While they were growing in size with more practice, they were still fairly small. She guessed that she could use them on smaller mammals, if she ever became an enforcer. Other ice restraints, such as handcuff like blocks, could be made. A quick inspection though showed them to be easy to shatter. A new idea came into her head and, focussing cold onto one of the dummy's, she tried to chill it down. Using her cold vision, she could see that it was freezing…

-That would be a very easy way of disabling any attacking mammal, she thought to herself. It would definitely be worth talking to Karen about it. Making sure that she cooled them down enough to make them unable to fight, but not to cause any lasting damage. She smiled at the thought. The idea of being an enforcer, putting herself in mortal peril again, sent chills down her spine even now. But this might be a way to take down bad guys without causing any harm to them. Heck, she might not even have to battle them. She could just assist with the main enforcer, doing her chill down power while providing location updates with her heat vision…

-That could work…

Maybe in the future though, she noted. She didn't feel ready for that kind of thing at all, and she wasn't going to push it. She turned to leave, only to pause as she remembered what Judy had said about fire. She turned around and focussed on one of the dummy's, sending out a coil of fire at one of them. She encircled it, caging him in but not harming him. Breaking her fire attack off, she used her heat vision to survey the damage. It was warm, but not scalding hot. She looked at the little tip of fire coming from her wand and let out a faint smile. Maybe it too would have a use.

.

.

Gently knocking on Clawhauser's door, she waited outside, jumping up and down on her toe-pads. "Just a minute," he called from inside, and she was happy to wait. She looked around, only for her gaze to land on a TV screen playing the news.

She couldn't help but let a look of distaste grow on her muzzle.

Dawn Bellwether stood there, looking very proud for herself, as the text rolling beneath confirmed that it had finally happened. She'd won her vote. She'd officially replaced Lionheart. She was the mayor of Zootopia. Brittany looked on as the ewe carried on speaking. " _Many have asked what my issue is with empowered mammals. Why I'm so 'against them'. Whether this is just taking personal trauma from my past and taking it too far. Asking whether all this is just revenge…"_ Brittany paused, wondering if the sheep had suffered at the paws of an empowered in the past. That would certainly explain a lot, though in her mind it didn't justify what she'd done. In any case, if the ewe could hold stuff against the empowered, then Brittany could hold stuff against her. That seemed fair. " _I would like to categorically deny that. Moreover, I'd like to invoke the founding principles of our fair city. Zootopia was built on the ideal of mammals coming together and working together for a common good, in peace and harmony. A key principle of this was accommodation and consideration. It would be built to accommodate the largest and smallest mammals. The predators would act with consideration to the prey, and vice-versa. The large would consider the small when they moved, with the small returning the favour. Accommodation. Consideration. As time has passed, this has matured into tax and social policies, and all sorts of laws… But the founders could never predict the empowered awakening, and while our city can naturally accommodate both empowered and non-empowered, I simply believe that the consideration has been lacking. On the non-empowered behalf, we've accommodated the empowered. We have facilities like the ZED to help them and let them reach their potential. We've allowed them to use their powers for private business, letting many of them grow rich. We even consider the mental issues that can be present, offering therapy and help for those afflicted with 'the call' instead of straight up criminalizing and jailing. But I strongly believe that a lack of consideration has flowed back in return. That's all I'm asking, for the normal guys. For some consideration to those made homeless when an empowered child has a temper-tantrum and burns down an apartment building by mistake."_ Brittany froze, both figuratively and literally, as a chill of worry grow through her and hoarfrost grew over some of her fur. Was that what the ewe really thought of her? It couldn't… The fire didn't really spread beyond her own flat, didn't it? " _-Consideration for when a lucky empowered is able to use his powers to make a fortune, putting many people who built their lives or sunk their savings and effort into the replaced work out of a job, sometimes ruining them. Consideration for those left behind. I do not believe that what I'm asking is extreme or hostile. It is merely asking some very lucky mammals to remember the contract that our fair city was founded on and to chip in, else those they short change get angry and more extreme. Violent, even. I do not want that. No-one does. I just want peace. Thank you. And, to all empowered mammals, I want you to know that I have your best interests at heart. Peace and safety. That is all."_

"What about this empowered mammal?" Brittany muttered, pulling her powers back in as the door behind her opened.

"Welcome back Brittany," Clawhauser said happily, the red fox turning to hug him. He smiled, giving her a pat on the head and welcoming her in. They sat down together, joining a third member in the room.

"Were you looking for my Momma?" Larry interrogated.

"I was doing my job," Brittany explained, smiling. "There were some massive forest fires, and I…"

"-So NO!" he shouted, an angry look on his mouth as he looked up at her. She sighed, rubbing her face with her paws before speaking out.

"I was very busy," she said, "and we don't have anything to go on. It's really hard…"

"You… -you just don't care about me," he half accused and half sniffed. "You just don't…" He began to tear up, and Brittany couldn't help but walk over and pick him up as he began to cry. Tears came out, and he sobbed, and she gently began stroking her thumb pad down his back. He quivered a little and then reached out, wrapping his hands around some of her fingers. Her mouth opened into a little 'O', and she brought her other paw over him. She held him there, hugging him, as he cried and tantrummed out.

A brief glance to her side, and she smiled as she saw the expression on Clawhauser's face. It was a giant grin, with his paws tuckered up into his chin. He was in bliss. "He's so small, I struggle to really interact with him," he said, chuckling. "But you're the perfect size."

"Yeah," Brittany replied. Looking around, she noticed a few worksheets and realised that this must have been a lesson for him. "Were you busy?" she asked.

Clawhauser nodded. "But it's okay."

She turned her gaze back to Larry, who'd finally calmed down. "You okay to talk?" she asked. He looked up and nodded slightly. "I want to help you, okay? But it's hard, and I'm struggling." She paused, turning over to an item in her pocket. "But I do have a plan. Want to hear it?"

He nodded his head slowly.

"I'm going to take a sample of your DNA…"

"My Dunnae?"

"DNA," she clarified. "It's the instructions that tell your body how to grow. You get half from each parent. And, I'll be sending it off to this company. They test it, the idea is to help mammals see who their ancestors were."

"Ancestors?"

She smiled. "Mammals like your grandparents' grandparents, and so on. Mammals from your family who lived a long long time ago. But I'm going to see if we can use this to find who your mother is."

His eyes lit up hopefully, and she couldn't help but smile. It was a long shot, as the usual thing apparently relied more on census reports and records and such. Still, maybe the DNA test could narrow it down and, if it didn't get his mother, it could get a close relative or something. She pulled out a cotton swab and put it in his mouth, taking a sample.

"You gonna send that now? For testing?"

"It'll go in the post later on," she said.

He frowned slightly. "But why not now!?"

"Larry," Clawhauser began. "The post only gets picked up in the evening. As long as Brittany sends it out before five, it'll go out as early as it can."

"Can't you send it earlier?"

"No," she replied, before sighing. "It's also going to take a while for them to do the test. You need to understand that." She frowned, leaning in closer to him. "Larry. I want you to understand that we're trying to help you, and that takes time. You getting angry with us for taking too long doesn't help!"

He nodded a little.

"I also want you to say sorry for making a mess with my family," she said sternly. "I thought you could play with my sister and have some fun."

"But… -But I want my Momma," he pleaded.

"I know you do," Brittany replied, leaning in and hugging him with one of her paws. She couldn't help it, and felt obligated to stroke his back with her thumb again to comfort him. "But it'll take time. And don't you want to make friends and have fun in that time?"

He looked up, and paused. "But I…"

"Larry," she said sternly. "Whatever happens, we'll find her. But you can spend that time having lots of fun and making plenty of friends. Or you can spend that time alone and bored and sad. It's up to you."

He nodded. "Okay… -I'll try to be good."

Brittany smiled, and paw-hugged him tight. She couldn't help but feel good as his face lit up. Maybe they were getting somewhere with him?

She walked outside, sighing. The tv was playing a report about energy issues, debating a plan to increase electricity exports. She looked on as they discussed the options. Subsidising heavy industry and using the waste heat for district heating rather than putting electricity through the city heat pumps; putting a transparent cover over the rainforest district to keep the heat in, given that it used the vast majority of energy to keep warm; building a new powerhouse for the dam and increasing its capacity, along with a wind farm to work in tandem, letting more water be kept behind when the wind blew and releasing it when the wind didn't. Finally, there was talk of getting a company called Lanhoff-Piper in to look at potential geothermal fields, producing electricity as well as a new heat source for the rainforest. A pundit talked, mentioning that the second was very unpopular but the most effective, while he felt the mayor would be far less fond of the last one. He carried on talking, and Brittany followed it for a bit before wandering off. She guessed that Karen would probably be the one who knew the most about that stuff.

.

.

.

Later on that day, there was a brief callout that Brittany dealt with in under an hour. After that she chose to make a diversion, landing on the balcony outside her parent's flat. Knocking on the door, they were surprised but happy. They let her in and, with Kinsey, she recounted all the things that had gone on while she was out fighting a forest fire. After that, and some food (Brittany deciding firmly that she needed to stay a day with her mother so that they could do _all_ the baking (and for that matter just general cooking), a thing that she knew nothing about having never been taught), she took off and made her way back to the ZED. She was making her way over to Skye's room, thinking about hanging out with her for a little, when she turned a corner and ran straight into Bogo's leg.

"Oh! Sorry!"

He chuckled a little. "No worries," he replied happily, flexing it a bit. "It's all fixed now."

She paused a bit, before chuckling too. "Oh good! You up to anything?"

"No," he replied. "And you?"

"Not really," she said, pausing to think. "Though I still need to be working out this meal plan thing…"

"No, you don't," he said, her eyes widening in confusion. "-Because I've paid and sorted it all out."

She gasped, her paws covering her mouth. "Oh-thankyou! Oh-thankyou! Oh-thankyou!"

The large cape buffalo chuckled, before sighing. "Least I could do. It's all set out to start in a few days."

"You're the best!" she said firmly, reaching up to pat him on his side.

The buffalo felt a bit of melancholy as she said it, thinking 'at least you think that'. But then a new idea hit his head. "You know… there's a game on at the moment. Want to go back to my room and enjoy it with me?" he asked.

She paused, before a wide grin grew on her muzzle. "Totally!"

And so she settled down with him in his room, cheering on as his team played. She'd never been in there before, noticing that it was filled with memento's and knick-knack's. Even a large drinks cabinet, though he chose to offer her a beer instead. Mellowing on, she got into it all and was screaming out in joy when they just about scraped a victory.

"WOOHOOO! WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!" She cried, before firing off a few celebratory puffs of fire from her hands into the air.

"I see you're enjoying this," Bogo commented, smiling fondly at her as he did so.

"Yeah," she replied with a huff, as she sat back down on the soft chair. The large cape buffalo couldn't help but notice how she was dwarfed by the thing, having needed a hoof up to get on. As he sat down next to her, he noticed that she was snuggling up to him, a paw coming around for a hug. "We should do this more often."

"I…" Bogo began, smiling before he froze. A deep concern going through him, he cleared his throat and began to speak when Brittany spoke first.

"-Do you think Bellwether will cause us a lot of problems?"

He was silent for a few moments, looking down as she looked up with worried eyes, one of her paws resting on him for comfort. He couldn't help but pull one of his hoofs around her. It had been his duty to care for her, hadn't it? And he did. He really did care for her. "No," he said, reassuringly. "Nothing too big or too rough. Nothing we can't get through."

She nodded a little. "What if people start to get violent, or… -I was hearing things here and there, about…"

"Dumb, idiot mammals, who can't really do anything," he said. He paused, looking over to a bronze sickle sword, mounted up on one wall. It was barely a dagger for a mammal of his size, but it was perfect for a smaller mammal like Brittany. "See that?"

"Yes."

"A gift I received on my first mission. When I first started working for the ZED, I was sent out to help the military," he began. "To spy for them… -The whole of Pawasia Minor had just been rocked by the Efrafan war of independence." There was a pause, and he shook his head. "Those mad hares. Hazel-Rah, Hrairoo, Thlayli and all the rest," he began. "Them and their Romany Fox allies. There was a strong belief that they had some incredibly powerful empowered in there. They'd destroyed the attacking airforce and armour, but we believed something else was in play. I, posing as a soldier in a diplomatic mission, confirmed it."

"What did you find?" she asked, curiously.

"Hrairoo had a very powerful foresight empowerment," he began. "They used that, and the other powers on their paw, to win." There was a soft chuckle, and he shook his head. "Good for them, I suppose."

"So, you're saying that if mammals try and attack us, we'll win."

"Yes," he replied, a hoof stroking over and down her blonde hair. "The right empowered in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world."

There was a pause, as she looked away, silently. "This is the right place for me," she said, a little smile coming on at the end. "It's my home, and so many of my friends are family here. It's the right place."

…

He closed his eyes, not liking what he had to say, but pushing it out regardless. She needed to know. "Brittany…"

"Yes."

"I was questioned… recently…"

"Oh," she said, almost whimpering. He could see the shake of pain in her and the trembling of her eyes.

"Charges may well be brought forward," he explained, looking away slightly. "I may be taken away…"

There was a sniff from his side, and his face lightened as he felt two little arms try to wrap around him. Looking down, he saw Brittany next to him, holding on. "If you are…" she began, turning to look up, a light still burning in her eyes. "I'll still visit you. Remember me saying that! I won't leave you alone!"

He looked away for a second but, on looking back, he smiled. He leant forwards and hugged her back tight. "I know," he said. "Thank you."

They stayed like that, hugging each other for comfort, for a good while.

Neither of them could see a good reason to let go.

.

.

 **AN: If you haven't read the fic 'Son's of Efrafa', read the fic 'Son's of Efrafa'. Taking Zootopia, a ton of alternate history, a great reimagining of Watership Down lore and enough world building to make god** **jealous** **and my favourite OC character (Sorry Bree! It was super close, honest!), it's a truly epic fic in both scope and fun. While a very loose 'reference' here, it was fun to make.**


	22. Chapter 21

**Authors notes: Emergency non-planned not a retcon. Just re-reading a bit of the original fire, and it turned out that after the Jack battle, Brittany got a Mk-IV wand as her Mk-III was busted. I forgot about this, and wrote her originally having the Mk-III, and getting a Mk-IV that can also do ice. I won't change it for this fic, as it's such a minor detail.**

 **Just letting you all know that I done goofed.**

 **Also, my writing production has fallen off a cliff ever since a certain someone made a minecraft server… I've been enjoying getting back into that game a lot, and my writing has stopped for now, though I should have easily enough chapters backlogged for it to all be okay. I'll make a push to get back into the writing groove this weekend, and you shouldn't see any difference in the update schedule. If you do… -Well, I think one reader will know who's fault that is XD. Anyway, on with the show!**

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* * *

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 **Chapter 21**

.

Brittany felt excited as she and all the other students of the ZED arrived at the restaurant. They were a massive group, though the owners seemed eager to accommodate them all, fitting out the tables and giving out menus on their way in.

"What sort of restaurant is this again?"

She looked up, smiling at Larry, perched up on Clawhauser's shoulder. The little squirrel had been smiling as they drove through the city, peeking through the window and interested in all the things here and there, pointing them all out. She remembered how young he was, and what it was like to stay inside the ZED day after day after day.

"It's Anihonese," Ben told him with a smile.

A wobbly worried look grew across his mouth. "Don't they eat raw fish?" he asked, both worried and slightly disgusted.

"That's for predators like Ben and me," Brittany explained. "But they have lots of stuff for prey mammals like you."

"Do they have acorns?"

"We'll see," she noted, sitting down in a raised seat. Ben, oohing and aaahing, settled down onto a padded mat on the floor, while a little clip-on seat was brought out and attached to the edge of the table for Larry.

"I'm not a baby!" he loudly protested, looking at it. He scurried away slightly, bringing a groan from both Clawhauser and Brittany.

"It's not that bad," she said. "I've used booster seats in cars. Get in."

"-If you want, we can get something else," he said.

She paused, looking up at Ben and then at Larry, and back again. She gave a little shrug. "Sure, why not." Thinking back, she chuckled as she remembered that she'd likely have been a whole less open to that kind of thing at his age. They called a waiter over, and soon a mini-chair and table was brought up and placed on the main one.

"What do we say, Larry?" Brittany asked.

He paused, looking over at the waiter. "Thank you."

"There we go," she chirped, reaching over to pat him gently on the head. He grumbled and muttered a bit as she did it but, as she let off, she couldn't help but see the happy little smile on his face. Brittany brought out her menu and, together, they scanned through it.

"Are you gonna be weird and ask for raw fish?" he asked.

"I think I am…" Clawhauser began, before pausing, his eyes widening as he saw it. "Anihonese savoury pancake…" He was almost drooling as he scanned through.

Larry looked on and gagged. "Eeeewwww. It's got cabbage in it!"

"You're a herbivore," Brittany pointed out.

"Still don't like it! 'Specially in pancake! Who puts it in pancake? Dumb…."

"It's got a load of other things too," Brittany noted, looking up to see Clawhauser nod.

"I'm gonna have a few of those!" the cheetah announced.

"Better than raw fish!"

"And a few platters of sashimi too."

"Still better than raw fish!"

Brittany paused, looking up to Clawhauser and smirking. "Shall we tell him?"

"Uhhh," Larry began. "Tell me what?"

"Ooooh, nothing," Ben said wistfully and with a quick shrug. Brittany saw his little giggle though, before turning back down to her menu.

"Hmmm," she pondered. "Tofu or Chicken Kitsudon…"

"Sounds like kids food!" Larry noted.

"I guess so," Brittany noted. "But it's just a normal meal. Besides…. -aren't you going to have something off the kids menu?"

"Hu…" he began, before going silent as he got off his chair and walked over to the menu. He stood on it, walking backwards and around as he scanned it. "I want sumthin' with acorns in it," he said.

"As long as you behave with them," Clawhauser told him. "Don't misuse your powers or anything."

He frowned darkly, crossing his arms hard. "Not gonna!"

"Just checking… just checking…"

They turned back to the menu, and after scanning through they finally spotted something with his favourite food in it. A forest selection, containing native acorns as well as a variety of nuts, scraps of certain barks, a couple of different leaves, flowers and mushrooms.

"Want it?" Ben asked him.

He nodded, and soon they were ordering.

.

.

"Bored…"

"It won't be long," Brittany told him.

He looked up and grumbled, kicking his legs.

…

"Bored."

"Hold on…"

"-But I'm bored!" he complained, louder this time.

Brittany noticed Clawhauser fumbling for something, likely his phone, but she cut him to the chase. Planting two of her fingers nearby him, she tapped them a few times, encouraging Larry. He saw it and his body taught up, before he launched off. A predatory gaze coming from her eyes, Brittany let him come close before she lifted up her paws. She swung it around, past him, and he shifted and scurried as he tried to catch them. Her paw landing down, he leapt at it again, narrowly brushing it as she pulled it back. He slid to a halt. On all fours he stood up, giggling slightly.

Brittany let a little smile grow on her muzzle as well. This was fun.

He ran after her paws and she held back, wanting it to be close. Lifting off as he approached, she saw him jump up, arms flailing, and witnessed him latch on to the end of her fingers. He held on tight, his back legs kicking about in the void as she lifted him up next to her, letting herself look at him. He was holding on but unable to pull himself up and, as he strained and groaned slightly, he looked at her with a grumpy look on his face.

In one fluid motion she swung her paw down and around, deftly catching him in the palm of her paw.

He panted and wobbled a bit, before bursting out into a few giggles. "That was fun!"

"It was," she replied, nodding in agreement. It had been fun, very fun. She paused a bit, thinking back to her experiences with Kinsey, before remembering what she'd learnt. "You want more?"

He nodded, and was almost immediately on his back, one of her fingers up in his belly and tickling him. He laughed and kicked and screamed. "Stop-it! Stop-it! STOP-IT!"

She did, pulling back. "You okay kit?"

He caught his breath, looked at her, and nodded. "AGAIN!"

She happily obliged.

.

.

After a bit more play, Ben brought out an activity book that he'd brought along before leaving. Some of the other parents were there and wished to catch up with him, talk about how their child was doing and so on. That left Brittany and Larry together, doing some colouring in.

"Do you like being a super mammal?" he asked, as he coloured in the cape of a super-racoon yellow.

"I do," she said, smiling.

"Like fighting bad guys!"

She paused, biting her lip slightly. Larry carried on colouring regardless, and she closed her eyes and thought back. Hadn't she already told him this? She couldn't remember and breathed in and out before speaking. She wasn't going to lie to a child. "The last bad guy I fought was going to kill me and loads of my friends," she said. "So I killed him…"

"-Yeah…!"

"-But it's really not a nice thing to have to do," she said. "I… -I still get bad dreams sometimes."

He paused, looking up slightly. "He was super scary, wasn't he?"

"Very," she said. "And I think it's a very good thing I felt dreadful after killing him, even if he was evil. I don't want to get used to hurting or killing mammals… -like he was."

"Oh…" he said, pausing as he looked up at her. He dropped down his pencil and jumped over, hugging her wrist. "You're not like him. It's okay."

She smiled. "Thank you… -And I get to help people without fighting bad guys. I put out giant fires and stuff. It's very tiring, staying up for a few days to help put out a giant forest fire, but it feels good to save lives and mammals' homes…"

He smiled a lit, only for the smile to falter. There was a sniff, and then another, and Brittany found herself twinging with concern. "Larry…? Is everything okay?"

He shook his head a little, his sniffling becoming full on tears and bawling, as he ran right into her embrace. She held him against her shoulder, whispering words of comfort and stroking him, telling him that it would be okay. Even so, he shook and twitched, racking sobs coursing through him and into her. She felt the pain and the anger and the sorrow in him, and couldn't help but let a tear or two drip from her eyes in sympathy.

"Why… -why… -why couldn't a super… -super… mammal save my Momma!" he cried.

"I don't know," she whispered, comforting him as she ran one of her paw pads down along his spine in a reassuring stroke. "I don't know, but we'll find her. We'll find her…"

He sniffed and twitched some more, slowly but surely calming down, though some long and painful relapses did occur. Eventually, he was settled down and happy, just in time for the food to arrive. Together they ate, Larry picking out the bits he liked and the bits he didn't, all while making squeamish looks at Ben's food. Brittany chuckled, all while eating her own.

…

"I wanna be a super mammal when I grow up!"

"Do you now?" she teased, leaning down to look at Larry. He nodded eagerly, jumping out of his chair and flexing his non-existent muscles in an adorable little strongmammal pose.

"I do," he nodded, before pausing. "That or a sheriff!"

"A sheriff?" she teased even more, leaning down and smiling. "Sheriff Curlyque?"

He giggled a little bit, before holding up a paw above his head and swinging it around, as if he were throwing a lasso. He tossed it forwards, towards her glass, before miming dragging it in. "Gotcha!" he boasted, Brittany playing along by pushing it towards him. He giggled a little, before stopping his pulling and bringing out a pair of invisible revolvers.

"PEW-PEW-PEW!"

"LARRY!" Clawhauser began, jolted out of his food. He paused though as he looked on, the little squirrel looking up at him confused and hurt. Ben sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry Larry," he said, his ears and tail drooping down. "Thought you were…"

"-Well I wasn't!" the little squirrel shot off, extra grumpy.

"Sorry," Ben whispered, looking away and scratching behind his head. Brittany chuckled, leaning forwards to pet the squirrel, who made his way into her paw.

"He didn't mean it," she said, though he seemed unconvinced. "-And you'll make a great supermammal or a great sheriff!"

"Or both!" he chirped, bringing a giggle from her. "…What…?" he asked.

"Sure, you can be both," she replied, giving him a few pats on the head.

"Yeah," he replied. "-And I'll fight crime, flying around…"

"Ah," Brittany noted. "I don't think you have flying powers, unless you shoot lots of acorns down and push yourself forwards."

"I can fly when I'm older," he said, smiling. "Just like my Momma!"

…

"Pardon?" Brittany asked, suddenly confused.

"Fly!" he boasted. "My Momma could fly. I remember seeing her fly! I can't fly yet, but one day I will!"

"Did she have flying powers?" she asked, hopefully.

"Nu-uh. She could just jump and fly down. I just need to grow the skinny flaps!"

"Right," she noted, quietly. She paused, pushing out a claw and tickling him under the armpit. He giggled a little, but Brittany was silent, finding no signs of skin flaps or anything there. "Say, do you want to finish your food?"

He groaned a little, but after a little pushing he did so, leaving Brittany alone to talk with Clawhauser. "Ben…"

"Mmmmphhh," he grunted through a mouthful of food. There was a pause as he swallowed, before speaking. "Yes."

"What species is Larry?" she asked quietly.

"Common Grey," he said with a shrug.

"Are you sure!?"

"Yes," he said with a nod, before pausing. " _Why?_ "

"He's saying that his mother flew," she said. "That she was a flying squirrel."

Clawhauser blinked a few times, bringing his paw up to his face and drumming his fingers along his cheek in thought. "Hmmmm… -Well Larry most certainly isn't."

"Could he be a hybrid?" she wondered.

"No…" he replied, though he sounded unsure. "I don't think flying squirrels can breed with normal ones… -That DNA test of yours will tell you that he's a grey, or you can have all my donuts for the next year."

She looked at him gravely. "You're that sure?"

"Oh yeah," he replied, nodding his head vigorously.

Brittany nodded too, before looking back at him, happily enjoying his food. "Things just got confusing," she noted, feeling a wave of sympathy for Larry. "Where on earth did you come from, little guy…"

"I don't know," Ben noted. "But I know where we are now, and I also know why we're here. You're going to have to get going in a little bit."

Brittany froze metaphorically, her eyes wide. "Urghhh… -right." Closing her eyes, paws up to her face, she took a deep breath in. "Give me a few minutes to get ready, then I'll do my thing. Okay?"

"Sure," Clawhauser said, putting a reassuring paw on her shoulder. "We're ready when you are."

.

.

A little while later, Brittany took a deep breath in and stood up with a glass and fork in paw. A few mammals looked at her and, as she rung the latter against the former, the remainder followed. Friends and strangers, all looking at her. She knew that she could do this, though the responsibility still put a lot of pressure on her. She wasn't going to fail… -She wasn't!

"Hello," she began, smiling a bit and waving. She felt a little more confident as she said it, and then jumped in. "I'm pretty certain that all the students at the ZED will know me. But for those who don't, my name is Brittany Voxen. I'm currently an assistor at the ZED. But, previously, I was a student and resident… -for ten years of my life." She couldn't help notice the concerned or sympathetic looks from some of her friends' parents. She noticed a semi-familiar deer doe look at her particularly sadly, Sam's mother. She didn't like it, her ears drooping back at the unwanted attention, but she knew that this was what she needed. It was better than the alternative. She could use it. "I arrived at the ZED when I was eight. An accident with my powers had caused an apartment fire, making my family homeless and, as I found out years later, traumatising my father…. -Because of that, and the fear that I'd go without and have another incident with my powers, I was sent off to the ZED against my will…" She noticed she was looking down, and that a tiny little bit of her powers were showing through, a few pinpricks of ice on her claw tips. Pushing them deep down, she looked up again and pushed on. "In hindsight, I understand why that happened. I learned to love the ZED and see them as important in my life as my real family. However, due to the distances involved and the lingering fear my father had, my relationship with them almost collapsed. This… -this didn't have to happen! I'm sure all of you know that the ZED academy is set up as an all or nothing arrangement. I want to change that… -Maybe you'll be able to go home on the weekends or the holidays, maybe you'll only be here for the summer, maybe your parents will live with you here or maybe you're fine with how this is. The option will be yours. While Commander Fangmeyer has already given me an assurance that young kits and cubs like me will have their schooling and residence arrangements seen to on a one-to-one basis, she remains unconvinced that you guys would want that. I want to clear these things up with her. All I want to know is whether you want these options to be available. Thank you…"

Taking a quick bow, Brittany sat down amidst a small chorus of claps. She felt a bit giddy, a little confident, though nervous as well.

…

More nervous…

Her heart almost skipped a bit when she saw Sam stand up. The deer buck was almost eighteen and had grown up a lot since she first saw him. Still, he always looked a bit nervous, and now was no exception. "Hi," he began. "My name's Sam…" He paused, breathing in and out, before carrying on. "I came here as a student not too long ago, mainly because we decided it would be best." He gestured towards his mother, who smiled, before continuing. "While my powers aren't dangerous, there was a want to improve them, get more practice. The ZED said they'd help me while giving me a good schooling…" There was a pause, and a chuckle. "All the old schools around where I lived totally sucked, which kind of helped." He breathed in and out, before carrying on. "Like Brittany, I learned to love the ZED and all the mammals there. However, though my mother visited every weekend, I…" he paused, blushing a little. "I really missed her to begin with."

"I missed you too dear," she added, causing him to shy away a bit in embarrassment.

"Anyway, I… -I did suffer some really bad homesickness to begin with," he noted, looking down a bit. "I missed home a lot. I was badly ill too… -I mean proper throwing up ill to begin with. I missed home…."

…

He cleared his throat a little and looked up. "If I could just go to the ZED for the week, it would have been even better." He nodded, looking at Brittany. "I've almost graduated, but I still support what Brittany's suggesting. Why wouldn't you?"

He sat down, and there was a wave of clapping, sending a smile across Brittany's face. She looked around and listened in as more students stood up.

"I like being independent, but what you're suggesting sounds fair. I'm behind it!"

"My family's planning to pull me out anyway, now that my powers are more under control! Why couldn't they have just given me a month of practice with them and be done?"

"I'm enjoying it here, but I didn't start earlier because I didn't want to leave my family. I'd have probably joined much sooner if I could go home regularly!"

"The ZED sounds cool, like something from a comic or Harry Plopper! But my parents are fine! I'd like to be home a bit more often."

"If it means I don't have to go and ask for permission to go on holiday with my family, why not?"

More students kept on talking, and all of them agreeing. Brittany looked on, smiling as hope surged through her. "Though I am no longer a student, _Bird with Differing Wings'_ comments seem most astute," another familiar face said. "Should Ninetails pull the pressing flames from her soon, I sense that this new precedent shall come to be the norm."

Brittany laughed a little at the comment from Kain, wondering if Skye would be taking over some of her firefighting duties to let her focus on this. Regardless, more comments came, including many from the parents. She couldn't help but feel great about it all.

"Woah…" Larry said, and she looked down to see him. "You're really warm!"

"You're radiating," Clawhauser noted with a chuckle.

Brittany just smiled and let it be. Why not? She turned to the whole crowd, her smile wavering a bit as the emotion hit her. "Thankyou! Thankyou so much! This… -this means a lot to me. I love the ZED and, though we've been through a lot recently… -I… -I want to make this place, my home, even better than it already is. It could have done better with me, helping my family and, since it didn't, they and I suffered! But now I know that no one will go through what I did… That's… -wow, it means a real lot! Thank you!"

She was met with a round of applause and, with a quick bow, she sat down, immediately receiving a hug from Clawhauser. "You did it," he said, smiling.

"Yeah…" she gasped, panting a little. "I did it!"

"Just in time for desert!"

"Can I have some?" Larry asked, the fox and the cheetah looking down to him.

Brittany chuckled, nodding her head. "Sure you can, little sheriff," she said, leaning forwards to rub his head. "You've been a good boy tonight." He fought off her petting a little bit, playful as he did so, before hopping over to the menu. She leant over, ready to choose something as well.

…

A little while later they'd ordered, and Brittany was watching Larry do something in his activity book. She felt a large arm tap on her shoulder and looked up to see Clawhauser smiling. "You know," he said, "you're really good with him."

She looked down at him, smiling a bit as she saw him happy. "I guess he needed a little love… -and someone to teach him not to be a little jerk."

Ben chuckled. "Poor kid, everything's been a bit tossed up for him." He sighed a bit. "We'll get him back to his Momma, whoever she is."

"Wherever she is," Brittany added, sighing. She leant over to help him with some of his colouring, only to pause as she felt a strange breeze of air behind her. It hit her, then almost immediately again. Her ears perked up as she heard what sounded like a bell, before the double hits of wind returned. "What…?" she began, before freezing. She heard a laugh. A very familiar laugh.

Brittany turned, and her eyes widened.

A paw leant over and tapped on Ben's shoulder, before gesturing over. The big cheetah turned and gasped. "Oh… Em…. Goodness!"

Across from them, in a corner of the restaurant, sat Skye. Across from her was Nick, a big grin on his face. Brittany watched as Skye began banging the table, her eyes closed, as if she had just been told a crazy joke.

"That's Skye!" Clawhauser said loudly, covering over something that she shouted out at that moment.

"I can see that!" Brittany whispered harshly. "Quiet!"

The cheetah nodded, going silent. He did lean over though, whispering into Brittany's ears. "I thought he'd taken Judy down to the meerkat markets." Brittany nodded back in response, leaving Ben even more confused. His ears flicked as she heard someone speak from behind, saying " _Bird…_ ", but he ignored it. Instead, he looked on as the cream coloured vixen leant over and hugged Nick. "Oh… Em… Goodness…."

"Maybe there's an innocent explanation," Brittany offered, pausing as she saw Skye look away from him. She seemed sad, wracked up with guilt or fear or something, and the red furred vixen looked on concerned.

" _Bird…!_ "

"Are they breaking up already?" Ben asked.

"Were they even a thing?"

" _I must confess my powers are usually vague and subject to great interpretation in their foresight…"_

"Shall I call over enforcer Fanghanel?"

" _-but the mist has lifted, and I sense clearly now. It is suddenly in focus, but only because of how close it is. We must go…"_

Whatever Brittany was going to say was cut off as Skye looked up, her eyes briefly glancing towards her and then fixing in a double take. The vixens stared at each other, the older one standing up. "Bree?" she asked.

Brittany looked to her, then to Nick as he began speaking.

" _It is far sooner and danger.._." She opened her mouth to say something back to Skye, only to pause as she heard a strange smashing sound. Looking down, she saw something tumble across the floor, before exploding in a blaze of white light, ear-splitting noise and pain. She and the others shielded their eyes and dove to the floor as another terrible flash and screaming noise ripped through the room. Another came, and everyone was down and screaming, and Brittany had no idea what the hell was going on.


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 **.**

"Ooooh! Fancy!"

"Well, here's to my hustler instincts still being in top shape," Nick replied proudly, leaning back in his chair. A warm smile was on his muzzle, and he looked on as Skye took one of the batter balls, coated in sauce and special mayonnaise and all sorts of flaky toppings, and gobble it down. He felt happy seeing her enjoy it and savoured the moment like she was savouring her food.

"Mmmmmmm," she cooed, her tail flicking behind her a few times. "It's so goooey! So chewy when you get into the middle!"

"I'm afraid they don't do a molten lava flavour," he joked, earning a chuckle from the vixen sitting across from him, along with a playful kick from under the table.

"Ow!"

"Oh, it was nothing," she dismissed. She sighed a bit, before grabbing another bit of food. "Just because it isn't melting my tongue off, doesn't mean I don't like it," she noted. "-Though molten lava improves most things… -this included." Skewering a few more of the treats, she carried on eating, pausing her chewing as Nick leant in to have a few of his own. They burst on his tongue, the savoury taste filling his mouth and sending ripples of pleasure through him. His eyes closed, his head tilted up and he moaned, living the tastegasm as he experienced it.

" _I mithed thuff like thifff soooo muth_ ," he managed to say through a mouth full of food before swallowing it down. "Most of the time, I was picking up stuff from fast food vans. Nice, but not like this." He almost made a joke about Judy coming in and starting a food fight in the middle of a gourmet meal, something far better than the larger reason he hadn't liked to put mammals at risk by going to these places (thank you Ms Selena Prowlmoor), only to pause as he noticed the way that Skye was looking at him. It felt nice at first, as if she was interested and caring for him, but as he looked on he felt it go the wrong way. Wide and sympathetic eyes, her ears swept back against her skull. Pity? No, he thought. He didn't want any of that, better move on. He coughed a little and looked away. "Anyway…"

"-I'm sorry."

…

Confused, he tried looking into her eyes only to notice them flicking away to the bottom and side, denying him the pleasure. "Listen," he began softly, suddenly concerned for her. "I'm a grown-up tod and I don't blame you for anything." He paused, a little grin growing on his muzzle. "That's what Bogo is for!"

She chuckled a little, looking up into him before relaxing, breathing out as she did so. "I suppose." She paused a little, before shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "Besides. Here I am on a super special meal out, being all selfish and cloudy and…"

"-Woah! -woah! -woah!" Nick interrupted, a sly grin on his muzzle. His brain entered sly teasing mode, and his paws were out and pushing backwards and forwards as he spoke. He cleared his throat slightly, as if he were suddenly finding himself a bit confused, though it was all a joke. "I don't remember this being a _super_ _special_ meal out," he said. "It's just that I took Judy to the meerkat markets where we had a good time and enjoyed some great food, so…" he trailed off, implying rather than saying. He looked at her as he did so, before leaning forwards and letting a coy smile grow on his muzzle.

"I…" Skye began, looking away a bit and coughing into her paw. "Weeellllll….." she began, beginning to smile again. "You come on and invite me to a fancy meal like this…"

"I wouldn't say fancy if you checked the prices," Nick noted, raising one of his fingers as he did so.

"Tchhh," Skye went, smiling. "Do you think I care about that?"

"Apart from that, what do you care about?" Nick asked, smiling jestfully as he leant in. His paws on the table and leaning close to Skye, the red fox enjoyed his teasing of her as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down. He was met with a playful grin, telling him that this might be getting interesting, and a finger pad that came up and touched his nose, pushing him back. "Flirting and playing, I see," he joked, settling back into his seat. This certainly would be interesting. "Why didn't you say?"

Skye looked at him, pausing for a second or two. She smiled at him, only for that smile to falter slightly, quivering here and there. Her eyes closed, and an odd shiver ran through her before she opened them again. She glanced down at her food, picking up some more of it with her fork and holding it there, speaking as she did so. "No. Just being silly," she said with a paw flick, Nick not being quite convinced. A smile grew on her as she carried on. "Just being a little sunny, that's all!"

"Pretty self-centred, isn't it?" Nick noted, looking at her sceptically. "Didn't really figure you as the type."

"…Huh?"

"Just 'being a little sunny'," the red fox explained. "That being a thing you care about, I…"

Skye broke him off with a little chuckle, shaking her head. "I think we got a little confused," she said, her paws out and signalling to him to back off. "I… -I care about helping mammals," she explained. "My father always taught me to leave the world a better place when you move on." She paused a little, shaking her head. "That's why I helped you… -Why I was worried about me being why you were…"

"-You weren't," he interrupted, suddenly finding himself a bit concerned. He couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for her. He'd never liked seeing mammals beating themselves up.

"I know," she replied quietly. There was an awkward silence, broken when she coughed a little. There was some clapping and cheering off from another table as Nick moved to speak, but she cut him off. "When I joked it was _a super special meal..._ " she said, looking up into his eyes and back down at the table, before giving them a sudden quick flick up again and then anchoring her eyes back down there. "-I was joking," she stated, breathing in and out. "-Just… -Just joking."

Nick looked on, not sure how he was feeling or whether he'd overdone the teasing even though it seemed so light and her reaction so strong, before breathing in and out to steady his feelings. Pretty easy, all things considered. Just getting over a silly misunderstanding. She seemed good now, though he was very suspicious that there was something else going on. "Anyway," he began, smiling. "I have some good news!"

A smile grew on her muzzle, and she looked up at him again, managing to return the sentiment. "Ooooh! What is it?"

"I've got a job!"

"Well done!" she said, in a way that was just a little too demeaning for Nick's taste. His eyes narrowed a little, his ears dropping down a level behind him.

"It's not giant news," he replied. "I can manage myself just fine, thank you."

"Tchhh," she noted, shaking her head a little. "I'm just trying to be nice," she said happily. "Be a little sunny, you know?"

He rolled his eyes and managed a smile back. "Sorry," he noted, lifting a paw up in a quick flick. "Anyway, I've already told Judy, but I'll be leaving the city in the future. I was wondering if you wanted to exchange numbers or…"

Skye remained silent for a few seconds, looking up and down him, before relaxing and smiling. "Sure, why not?" she said. She brought out her phone and Nick brought out his, and they exchanged numbers and emails. Finishing off, she put her phone away and looked at him longingly. "So…" she began. "What's this job?"

"Oh," he noted. "Just a bodyguarding one, out in the sticks…"

"Going all rough and tumble?" she said, half joking.

He chuckled slightly. "No… -I won't be coming back with thick fur and long whiskers and…" He broke off when he heard Skye chuckling, and he looked on as she continued. He'd wanted to spend some time with her before he left, and as he enjoyed watching her he remembered why. She was just fun to be around. Different to the ball of energy that was Judy, but just as fun. "What's so entertaining?" he asked, leaning forwards with a smug look on his muzzle.

"Oh…" she began, chuckling again. "When… -When I got the cure, I felt all my bones suddenly knit together and all the feelings return and it was… -It was… -Well, Wow!"

"Glad someone appreciates my powers," Nick joked, earning a snort from her.

"Well," she continued. "I was up and walking for the first time in years… -And I wanted to be with Brittany for the last of her therapy sessions, a nice surprise. I could have gone there right away, but…. -Well, I wasn't really in the best state."

She said it jokingly, and Nick carried on. "You're preaching to the choir about bad bed fur here."

She chuckled some more, shaking her head. "Bad bed fur, smelly fur, rough claws, terrible breath… -your powers aren't a be all and end all, you know!"

"I know," he noted, a quick roll of his eyes accompanying what he said.

"But it wasn't my messy fur that I noticed, or the hospital robes with nothing beneath… -well, there was an incontinence pad, status unknown, beneath there…" She paused, chuckling some more. "Sweet cheese… I totally forgot about that too… -Meeting Bree in the flesh for the first time like that, she'd never…" She paused, chuckling. "But do you know what the things was that I noticed, that made me realise I really needed to clean myself up?"

Nick, smiling from her ditzy performance, just shrugged. "Hit me!" he said, eagerly anticipating what was coming.

Skye held up her paws to the side of her muzzle and spoke. "Whiskers!" she said, before pulling her left paw out in an arc. "Zwooop!" She repeated the action with her right one too. "Zwoooop!"

Nick burst down laughing, a few paw bangs on the table accompanying it. "Nothing wrong with whiskers," he said, a smug and teasing grin growing on him.

She shook her head a little. "Yeah, you say that… -But as I saw and felt them… -then saw myself in the mirror… -There totally was! Besides," she carried on. "That shower was heaven!"

"Fitting for an angel like you," Nick teased.

"No wings," Skye said with a shrug. "Not an angel, I'm afraid."

He looked at her fondly and shook her head. "You gave me my life back. You're an angel. You're so badass you don't need wings!"

She giggled a little.

"I'm serious!" Nick justified. "Normal angels, except for bat angels, steal flappy things from birds… -You don't need those. You just go and fly, screw wings!"

"Maybe I just haven't earned mine yet," she noted.

Nick nodded, before pausing, a brilliant idea coming into his head. "Hold on a sec," he said, before zipping off towards the front of the restaurant and returning in less than a second. He placed down a service bell, hit the top with his paw making it ring out, then flashed back to return it. Settling back down again, he looked up and down at Skye and shrugged. "No! That didn't work!"

Skye burst out laughing once more, a big smile on her muzzle. She was back to enjoying this evening very much. She looked at Nick, and her gaze held itself there as he finished off his starter. She finally finished hers too, her eyes going wide as she bit into them.

"Enjoying it?" Nick asked, teasingly.

She swallowed it down, banging her fist onto the table. "HOT LAVA!"

Nick laughed. "I do my best, Lava Girl." He paused, silently complimenting himself for that one while Skye recovered, looking over at him all confused.

"But, how…?"

He shrugged, bringing out an empty pot of wasabi. "I may have sneaked all of it onto your food while you weren't looking."

She smiled and leant over, her paws suddenly coming around him. Nick was wide eyed and a bit startled throughout, maybe she was using her new superspeed to enhance the surprise. But it felt good…

"Thanks," she said, settling down and smiling.

"Hey, I know what makes you tick Lava Girl," he said, smiling as he finished up his starter.

Skye had a grin on her as she watched him, though it began to falter again. She shook her head and tried to keep her grin wide, but her mouth quivered a bit and she braced herself with her arms. She recovered a little, her paws going down as she just looked at him. She stayed that way as he finished and looked up. When Nick saw her, he began feeling a bit worried and confused from the attention. "Lava Girl?" he began, suddenly feeling concerned as her ears folded back against her head. She looked away and down, scratching the back of her head. "-Skye…?" She began breathing in and out a few times, and Nick could tell that she was suddenly nervous. Was something wrong with her? "Skye, are you…"

"Nick," she half-barked out, and he could hear the nerves in her voice. She looked up to him, and he could see her gulp, and his head tilted slightly in confusion. Hers returned the favour, only in the other direction, though neither made any move to fix it.

"Skye," he asked softly. "What's wrong?"

She closed her eyes and took in a deep steadying breath. "Nick… I…"

She froze, mid-sentence, and turned away from Nick. "Bree!?"

Nick backed off, confused, something made worse as he turned and spotted the little sorceress sitting on the other side of the restaurant and whole crowd of mammals, mostly teens, around her. He looked up her and chuckled. "I guess I can also tell her the ne…"

Whatever he was saying was cut off as a sudden flash of bright light and an earth-splitting scream filled the restaurant.

A second followed, and a third, and Nick found himself crashing onto the table. His eyes were welded shut to shield his sensitive vision from the burning brightness, and his ears were trying but failing to plug and protect his throbbing and screaming ears. He managed to open his eyes just a little, spotting Skye in a similar position next to him, and, as the pain vanished, he saw a team of mammals dressed up in silver suits march in. A few ran towards Brittany and her group, and a number straight towards him. He managed to register that these were the same suits volcanologists wore, before the attacker closest to him held up a device and let loose a stream of burning flame.

.

"RUN!"

Brittany screamed it out before she even really knew what was going on. All she saw was a jet of flame surging towards her, which she met with a massive thrust out of her arms. Her powers channelling, the oncoming jet parted to her side like the red sea.

" _Shit!"_

Her ears peeled at the curse word, and her arms tore to her sides as the flame jet ended. The mammal, silver suited up, just stood there waiting for a few seconds, taking in what had happened. She managed one deep pant and then another, before reinforcements arrived and, together, they carried on their assault. This time her arms were out, her paws up, and she channelled the oncoming flames up into the building roof. She barely noticed the streaming chill of the sprinklers as she glanced behind her. The whole crowd was screaming and fleeing, running out of a back entrance. Clawhauser still stood there though, carrying a crying Larry in his paws. "I SAID RUN!" she screamed, and the big cheetah nodded and fled as well.

It was just her and the bad guys now. When she turned back to face them, the horror of what was going on hit her. The adrenaline was on her side though, and she was holding her own. More goons were turning up, surrounding and flanking her as they tried to find a chink in her armour and get in. Brittany responded though by putting her arms out to the side, using her powers to deflect the inferno away from her as much as she could. But she was slipping. Slipping more and more as she had to push her powers into places that she couldn't see. The heat was rising, and she swore she felt a twinge on her tail as the firestorm advanced, ready to strike her in her back. She closed her eyes, utterly terrified, and spun.

The inferno spun with her, and she spun more and more, kicking it into a firenado. Coming to a halt, she kept it swirling on and on, the force pulling the ever-replenished flames further out and away from her.

Her panting kept on going, but the panic receded somewhat. She could hold this up until help arrived. She was going to survive.

But a sudden heart rendering peel of a scream chilled her heart to the bone. Her entire defence almost collapsed from the distraction and, as she panicked and recovered, she couldn't help but scream out. "SKYE!""

.

"NONONONONONO!" Nick panicked, readying the tension in his legs only to be hit with a blast of flame. "NOT AGAIN! -NOT AGAIN!" His eyes closed from the agony and, though he managed to kick himself hard into the back of his seat, he was trapped. More flames were licking him, coursing and flaying his skin, and all he could do to cope with the agony was to curl up into a ball and shelter his eyes with his paws. It felt like every part of him was touching a hotplate and was stuck there, mixed in with the tingling as his healing powers repaired the damage. It was an eternal battle though, his body healing and the flames tearing away, and he realised that they'd got him. Whoever they were… Whatever they wanted.

"ARGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He heard Skye scream, before she began crying out, whimpering and snivelling. His ears, or rather the stumps that remained, peeled back as he heard her plead out. "Not again, please not again, I'm sorry, please not again…."

Managing to open his eyes, Nick saw her next to him, curled up defensively just like him. Her fur would singe and burn black, and the flesh under would blister and peel, before the scar would vanish in a new wave of perfect fur. Then the whole process would repeat, her whole body morphing and shifting and burning and recovering, but he could see her tiring. She wasn't used to this…

-Himself though…

He'd been used to agony and keeping his mind through it and, as much as he could, he was regaining his ability to think straight. He shifted his body around, letting his legs touch the wall behind him and, sheltering his eyes as much as he could, he saw the two smallest members of the attacking force and lined himself up. They advanced slightly, and he felt his eyeballs burn and had to close his eyes, blinded once more. Through the roar of the fire, he heard Skye scream and whimper again, and in his panicking thoughts he couldn't help but drop a joke. "I thought you liked the hot stuff… -Bit too much for my taste…" It might have made him feel better, he wasn't sure, but as he heard her whimper and sob, pleading that she was sorry and begging 'not again…', he chose to act. To hell with waiting for his eyes to heal, he coiled his legs and launched himself across the floor. He felt himself surge forwards, managing to get himself up onto all fours and give one good gallop before he smashed into a pair of legs.

For a brief second or two the impact scrambled his head and he didn't know what was going on, before he felt himself tumble and bounce around, smashing into another wall and laying on his side. Even though he was blinded, he felt like his vision was swimming in front of him, and he stumbled slightly as he got up. Trying to open his eyes, he saw an unclear blur that quickly came into focus, and he watched as the exposed muscles on his ruined paws were replaced with new skin and fur, suddenly as good as new.

" _REDEPLOY! REDEPLOY!"_

Looking up, he saw the crowd around Skye, who he realised with dread had gone silent, and another around some kind of spinning firenado. But the silver clad attackers were peeling off the latter, while those he'd bowled over in the former were coming over. Sloppily, he tried to kick himself away, only to feel the carpet beneath him tear off and fly, his paw slipping…

" _CONCENTRATE FIRE!"_

This time Nick managed to mentally prepare himself, before the second wave of searing agony began.

.

.

Brittany felt a wave of relief as some of the attacking mammals retreated, but she was still scared shitless. Yes, she was cussing. Yes, it was damn appropriate! These mammals had attacked her, and they were attacking Skye and Nick and they tried to attack all the students, and she had no idea what to do. But the onslaught of fire had eased somewhat, and it was easier to control what was being sent at her. No, she couldn't turn it to ice. She feared that the brief moment it would take for her to transition would be too long, letting them torch her. But… -but could she burn these mammals? She gritted her eyes, choking back a sob… She hated it, but she was going to have to. They gave her no choice! They gave her no choice! She pushed the fire out further and further, hoping at least that it would make them retreat. Instead, she saw the fire spouting ends of the throwers emerge, their tendrils of death still getting pulled into the inferno but beginning to break free. She saw one of the mammals half emerge through the eye wall, the flames flicking and flowing over his fireproof suit, leaving him completely unharmed.

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but she wasn't given a choice as he looked at his thrower, saw how her deflection was failing, and advanced. With a yelp, she pulled her firenado closer and pushed it to go faster. But the whole company of attackers were advancing, and to keep their assault under control she had to pull in the inferno. Closer… Closer and closer to her and she began panicking as she felt the heat rise. She was even beginning to feel a bit dizzy, and she realised that even if she didn't get burned, she'd cook.

"Please…!" she begged. "Please stop! PLEASE!"

Her only response was to see a massive figure push through the eye-wall. Looking up through his silver suit, she thought she saw the face of a wildebeest, before a foot came down hard. It stomped right next to her as she narrowly managed to jump back, barely avoiding becoming a vulpine pancake. Her relief was short lived though as the leg drew itself up and out, kicking at her. She skipped back again, feeling the scorch of the fire on her back as the leg moved up and hit her hard in the stomach and then her face. A blinding pain blasted through her, lighting bolts of agony coursing out of her muzzle as she felt herself get thrown back. She managed to channel some of it into her powers, pushing as hard as she could without even knowing it, and tossing away the inferno as she passed through it. She hit the ground hard on her tail and then tumbled over and over, hitting herself here and there before she slammed into the wall, hard. She felt her world swim, and she felt pain… Trying to get up, she only managed to lift herself onto all fours, and even then she struggled to stay up. Her jaw hurt, and she could taste blood. A whole lot of blood.

" _You fire, I'll kick, one of us will get her…_ "

She looked up, seeing them arrange around her like a firing squad. Behind them, other crews had Nick and Skye under control. She heard him, but she couldn't hear her, and she looked up to see them grab their weapons and ready to fire. Down on her paws, she raised her paws and gritted her teeth, and looked at them through her sobs. "ARGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

All her rage channelled out, and she tried to pull as much flame as she could from their weapons and pushed it at them. They fired, and she double down, roaring out a heat ray just like she'd done against Jack. But their suits protected them and, though they struggled, they were advancing. She looked up to their leader, the wildebeest, and focussed on him. He pushed on though, and she knew that if he got to her it was game over. Ever if he didn't trample her to death, her powers would slip up and she would burn… The rage at the hopelessness only increased her attack, but he endured on regardless.

This was it…

-This was the…

"GET OFF HER!"

Her eyes widened as she heard the most hopeful voice in the world. She heard Skye. There were screams and, looking up, she saw the familiar blue shape of her astral projection, just floating there in front of her. "I SAID GET OFF HER!"

The fires diverted up, pushing through the ghostly figure harmlessly. The leader slammed forwards a brutal punch, his fist sailing right through her head. " _SHE'S HARMLESS!"_ he cried, turning back down to Brittany. " _FOCUS ON HER!"_

It was too late though as, in that brief second, Brittany had time to see and time to think. She channelled her fire powers and pulled the inferno back.

Not the one around her.

The one around Nick.

The red fox, who'd wrapped himself up and was enduring it, looked up as the assault was pulled back. Panting, he felt his healing powers knit up the damage before he launched himself around in an arc. This time his paws gripped the floor, and he bowled through the legs of all those who'd been attacking him, knocking them down. Brittany didn't see any more of him, as the inferno around her picked up again. Once more it advanced, only to break off as the attackers were knocked over, their legs thrown out from underneath them.

Skye, who'd been hovering over her, looked down. "RUN!" she screamed, before flying forwards, Brittany following her. She jumped over the recovering attackers, noticing that the wildebeest's sleeve had been torn. She saw what looked like a military patch or something but didn't have any time to process it. She just followed Skye, deflecting the fire assault from one of those who'd attacked Nick and now recovered before looking over to where Skye's body was. Nick had performed the same trick, bowling them over, and was racing forwards with the cream fox over her shoulder. "SORRY!" he shouted, before Brittany felt him slam into her.

She felt dazed, everything jumbled up. She heard the attacker scream " _RETREAT!"_ before her whole world became a blur.

…

She noticed that she was on a pavement outside.

A whole crowd was around her, and she looked up to see Nick standing up and Skye both lying on the floor and floating above her. They looked shell-shocked. She felt it. She felt tired, and scared, and broken…

There was that pain in her jaw, and something didn't feel right. Probing with her tongue, her eyes widened as she felt a gap where her left upper canine used to be.

She was broken…

She'd been attacked…

They'd been….

She'd almost…

She had…

"Oh god," she whispered, as she felt like a mountain was crashing down around her. Frost and ice grew over her body, though she didn't notice, and she curled up into a ball, trying not to cry but failing.

"It's okay Bree," she heard Skye comfort, and she looked up to see the vixen floating above her. Even in her astral form, tears were flowing down her. "It's…"

She never got to finish her sentence, instead just vanishing.

"SKYE!" Brittany wailed, and horrible spear of ice ripping through her heart as she lost her friend. No… -It couldn't be… -NOT NOW! NO! Her mouth opened wide and she screamed out in agony, convulsing and flailing alone on the pavement.

"-It's okay!" Skye comforted.

No…

How could…?

Brittany opened her eyes, and saw Skye wobbling on all four paws, approaching her. The real Skye. "It's okay," she said, stumbling forwards and wrapping her paws around Brittany. "It's okay…" there was a pause, and a half-laugh half-sob. "I just woke up."

Brittany burst into tears, holding her sister tight, as Skye held her back. Together, they cried into each other, not noticing the police cars turning up, along with the sudden sliding of landing metal to the side.

.

.

"Alright you punks…"

Through her sobs, Brittany's eyes opened as she heard a familiar voice.

There was a slam and, looking up, she saw three of the silver clad mammals hit the side of the wall. They groaned and wiggled, but were held on tight by their suits and, looking down, Brittany saw Enforcer Wolford holding them there with his magnetic powers, the forces so strong that she saw some darker spots in her vision; a fun fact about red and arctic foxes was that some of their eye cells could also detect magnetic fields, though it only really manifested as blurry spots. Wolford chuckled slightly. "Bad day to be wearing metal!" With a flick of his paws, he sent them sliding down hard into the ground. One of them groaned, clutching his leg, which was bent at a funny angle. "I told you guys to leave me…"

"Shut up," another cursed, as he fumbled for his weapon. Wolford just tore it away, before looking over towards the façade of the burnt-out restaurant. Spotting a bit of metal, he tore it off and bent it around his captives, locking them together tight. As he did so, a familiar pounding sound rang through the air, and Judy landed hard.

"Oh gosh…" she gasped, shaking her head. She looked over to Brittany especially. "I'm sorry! I was in the shower…"

"-That doesn't matter," another voice said, as Fangmeyer landed next to her. She looked over at Brittany, before spotting Nick and Skye. A thin snarl grew across her mouth as she did a double take.

"-Hey!" the red fox gasped, his mouth open and trembling. He threw his arms up and gulped. "I was attacked! I did nothing, okay! NOTHING!" He gulped again, before an angry look grew over his face. "If you're going to try and pin this on me… -well… Don't… YOU… DARE!"

The tiger shook her head and groaned. "I'm not blaming you for anything. If you help is figure out this mess, then I don't see why we'd have to," she noted, before pausing. "We'll need you all to come in for questioning."

"I'm sure you'd like it if I ran," Nick barbed, before brushing himself down. "So, I'll come willingly."

"I wouldn't, but good," the tiger replied. "Thank you." She paused, looking at Judy and pointing at Nick as she did so, a bit of a playful smile flickering on her muzzle. "Enforcer Hopps. Round up the usual suspects," she ordered, the red fox giving a coy wink as she did so. "I need to know what the hell just happened here."


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

.

Flashing lights illuminated Commander Fangmeyer as she looked over the gathered mammals. Reporters and journalists, looking up and crowding around. She didn't pay much mind to them, simply clearing her throat and speaking. "Earlier tonight, a group of mammals, wielding flamethrowers and dressed in protective gear, attacked a restaurant in which many of our students and their families were out for a meal. In addition, one of our enforcers, off duty at the time, was also there on unrelated business." She hid the little glower of irritation from that and pressed on hard. "Eyewitnesses report that flashbangs were thrown in order to confuse those inside, before the attackers poured in. Half of the group attacked the off-duty enforcer, who was subjugated due to the pain of the assault, while the rest attacked the students. One of the leaders of the party was an assistor, who was able to bravely use her powers to hold off the assault, giving time for the rest of the ZED students and their families to flee. She, the enforcer, and an empowered civilian were then able to evacuate themselves out of the building and danger. None have sustained major injuries, though medical attention was required for the assistor. Our Enforcers were then able to arrive on the site, and able to capture a group of attackers who hadn't evacuated, due to an injury. While the ZED will be keeping a close eye on this, it is ultimately a ZPD affair when tracking down the remaining attackers, who ditched their weapons and armour and disappeared into the city. That is all."

She stood silent as the end of her briefing was met with a deluge of questions, despite her assertion that there was nothing left to tell. Fortunately, she knew that protocol dictated that she would answer some of them, so she chose a nearby gopher to begin with.

"Is it true that the hustler was involved in this?"

Her teeth gritted a bit at his name. "Nicholas Wilde was the empowered civilian in question," she began, pausing as the crowd erupted (because of course they would). "-From the eyewitness reports, he was attacked alongside the others, and acted bravely. He helped to fight against the attackers and pull out our ambushed personnel."

"Why didn't you think this was relevant information to include?"

"Why do you think it is?" she asked, pausing for a bit and savouring the moment of silence, before looking over to a new reporter. "Yes, you!"

"Is the ZED going to take further action to compensate the hustler?"

"He acted as a private citizen in this and was caught up as a victim," she said, perhaps a bit too loudly. "He will be treated as such, though his opportunity for confidentiality has now been revoked thanks to your insistence on bringing him up. Now, moving on…"

She pointed to another reporter. "So, are the ZED going to compensate him?"

…

"He has our thanks," she spelled out, "and will be treated like any private citizen in this case, in a way that, as per ZED, ZPD and ZFD policy, doesn't encourage reckless vigilantism. We will arrange something, in private. Thus, unless mister Wilde says so, that is none of your business."

She flinched back as a woosh of air ripped past her, Nick suddenly appearing. "I say so!" he said out loud, before vanishing off again, just as Fangmeyer registered what happened. Turning back to the crowd, she groaned in anger as the crowd screamed out questions. _How much? Would any amount be enough? Was she going to tell them now?_

"In light of recent events, I'm _vastly_ downgrading his compensation to a buy-one-get-one free voucher for a spa treatment weekend," she said emotionlessly, smiling slightly as the crowd went quiet. "Any other questions?"

"…-Don't… -don't you think that that's a bit… -petty?" the reporter who'd first brought Nick up asked, almost shell-shocked be Fangmeyers ruthlessness.

…

.

"Yes."

…

"…No further questions," he replied, retreating back a bit.

"Any more?"

"Do you know any motives for this attack?" a different journalist, a giant panda, asked.

"We have no firm confirmation," she stated, "but it's clear that the attack was directed at a large crowd of empowered mammals and their relatives. Many of these were teenagers, and there were a large number of children, most non-empowered, involved as well."

"Could this be a hate attack?" a giant anteater, standing next to the panda, asked.

"Potentially," Fangmeyer noted. "The ZPD, who will be investigating this, are viewing this as the most likely motive."

"Do you believe that this could have been spurred on by the empowered critical stance of our new mayor?" the panda asked.

Closing her eyes, breathing in and out, the tiger chose not to mince her words. "Officially, we don't know. Though, personally, where there is smoke there is usually fire. Anti-empowered attacks have been little over the baseline crime rate for years but saw an uptick after Dawn Bellwether rose to become mayor. I would advise you ask her…"

The panda and her anteater companion nodded, and Fangmeyer looked over to another reporter. "Why were so many students in that place at one time?"

"It was a meal out organised by the assistor. I do not believe in telling our staff what they can and cannot do in their free time, and that includes giving treats to our students and their families."

"Are they at risk at the moment?" one of the reporters asked.

"All were taken back to the ZED campus. The families can leave when they're ready, and the students live here regardless and are protected."

"So, you're providing accommodation for the families."

Fangmeyer paused. "No… -they'll be returning home when they're ready."

"So tonight?"

"If they want to stay tonight, we have some spare rooms and such."

"But you intend for them to go home," the reporter pressed. "Where they'll be vulnerable to attack?"

"We don't believe the families themselves are at risk," Fangmeyer stated firmly.

"-And what about the hustler," another mammal asked. "Are you offering him shelter? He could have been the main target."

"If he requests it, we will provide," the tiger noted.

…

"Any more questions?" she asked. The crowd of reporters were silent in response. "In that case, this press conference is over."

.

.

"Why do they have to ask so many questions," she muttered, stepping backstage.

"Hmmmm," Nick replied, chewing a pawpsicle stick as he walked. "I do believe, that it's this thing called their job."

"Would you kindly not be insufferable for a bit," the tiger barbed.

"I'll think about it," the fox said with a shrug. Doing so, he looked over, a look of concern growing on his face as he looked over to two vixens, just sitting there. Skye looked shell-shocked, emotionless and blank. Her arms though were wrapped around Brittany, who was covered in a white hoarfrost, sniffing here and there. She'd turned a bottle of water to ice and was holding it up against her muzzle. "Are the pain meds getting to work, little sorceress?" he asked, walking forwards.

Brittany took a deep sniff in and, removing the bottle, spoke. "Yeah…" she paused as she did it, noticing the difference. Seeing a mirror nearby she stood up and walked over, pulling up her lip and looking on at the obvious gap. Her upper left canine, completely gone. There was a dull ache from where it had been, though she didn't mind it. It was more the shock of what had just happened, what she'd seen… what she'd done…

"Bree?"

She felt Skye's paws on her shoulder, the comfort radiating out like a spreading warmth, and she turned to hug her tight. "I… I…."

"Don't worry," she said slowly. "They're gone now… They're gone…"

"I tried to burn them…"

"Oh gosh! Bree…"

"-I tried to burn them with a heat ray," she sniffed, pinching her muzzle hard. She hated it. She hated herself for what she'd almost done, and she couldn't help but remember. That blast of fire coming from her wand. That torch of heat. That scream, and then nothing left, just nothing… Just ash where a living mammal had been. "I… I tried to kill them!"

"They tried to slaughter you, and a whole load of kits," Fangmeyer interrupted. "What you did wasn't bad."

"Yes… -yes it was," Brittany sniffed. "If they didn't have those… -didn't have those suits, then I'd have burnt them just like Jack! I'd… -I'd be no different to him!"

"You know that isn't true," the tiger told her.

"Yes… -but… -If," she stuttered, before her eyes narrowed and the frost began to melt off of her. "If I'm happy to cross my lines, am I!? Am I different to him? If I keep letting myself do more things, where do I end up!"

"Bree," Skye sniffed, beginning to cry. She flew forwards, hugging the younger vixen tightly. "You are nothing like Jack. You… -you know that. You saw him!"

"Am I…?" she asked. "Am I… -I… what was he like before he turned?" she spurted out. "When he was your partner? What was he like then? Because if I was like what he was, then… -then I could end up like him, couldn't I?"

"Bree…" Skye whispered, her mouth opening wide in a sad gape.

"Well, am I?"

"I…" the cream coloured vixen began, before trailing off. "I…"

She didn't get to answer, as Brittany sobbed before breaking away hard. The hoarfrost was returning over her body and, clutching her eyes, she ran off crying. "BREE!" Skye yelled, only to pause as Nick grabbed her paw.

"She'll need to cry it out, Lava Girl," Nick warned, pausing as Skye looked into her eyes.

"Take it from someone with too many siblings," a new voice said, as Judy waked up to them. "Give her a little time, but be there when it's over for her."

Skye nodded just a little bit, closing her eyes and breathing in and out to steady herself. "Okay…" she began, forcing a smile. "Gotta be nice and sunny for her when she's ready though. Can't be all cloudy like this, not fair on her and…"

"Skye," Judy interrupted. "How are you? Are you okay?"

…

There was a sniff, then a sob. "No…"

She looked around hopelessly, pausing on Nick for a few seconds before shying away and looking down to Judy, the bunny hugging her. She hugged her back, sniffing hard. "It hurt… -it hurt so bad, and it wouldn't stop… I couldn't do anything… Just… -Just faint, I… -It was like when he… When Jack…"

"You're safe now," Judy said, a heavy authority in her voice.

"You are," Nick added, patting her shoulder hard. "You're a survivor."

"How do you cope…" she whispered, looking over at Nick. "The pain… -how do you…"

"You sort of get used to it," he said sadly. "I… -I bury what's left down, and when it tries to gnaw at you. -Don't let them see that it gets to you. -Never let 'em see."

Skye chuckled. "I'll deal with it, when I can… -But I need to be sunny for poor Bree."

"We'll all be there for her," Judy said.

Nick nodded, before looking up at Fangmeyer. "You need to take care of her," he said, his voice hardening.

"She'll be safe here, she has friends, and Clawhauser is a trained psychologist," she noted. "He'll be able to help with those issues of hers."

"I _certainly_ will."

They all looked over to see Clawhauser standing there, a look of irritation on his muzzle. Fangmeyer in particular backed off a bit, noticing his fuzzed up fur and tail.

" _ALL_ my students will need help after what happened, even if they were only knocked out by that first flashbang," he warned. "But Brittany will need a ton, and it'd help if you didn't do things in the meantime like sending her out on missions against her will!"

Fangmeyer's eyes opened. "Is this about the war games?"

"YES," Clawhauser almost growled, Skye and Judy looking on in shock at his anger.

"It's a bit too late to bring that up," she barbed.

"I don't care," he warned, shaking his head. "You know what she's been through, what she was forced to do! She naturally set up those moral boundaries to protect herself… -In fact I'm quite proud of her for doing so. But you! You were insistent on pushing and testing them, regardless of her wellbeing!"

Fangmeyer's eyes were open and her mouth hanging open, only for it to close, her ears going back as she walked forwards. "So, you'd be happy with me just letting her sit where she is? Not giving her the chance to push herself? Letting her settle into less than what she can be?"

"From her viewpoint," Ben growled, "that 'what she can be' is someone happy to murder and kill. So, maybe I am happy!"

The tiger sighed, pinching her nose. "I'm guessing she went to you after the wargame?"

"Yes…"

"And didn't she tell you that she found it good?" Fangmeyer noted. "Yes, she hit her limits, but she learned that she could be useful! She could help her friends! I was there after it wrapped up, and it seemed like it did her a world of good! -Besides, you can hardly blame me for what happened today? You're only bringing up the war games now because you're angry and want to lash out about something. She didn't have big problems with those war games, and it's not like the attacks were my idea, was it?"

"Oh," Clawhauser hissed. "Are you blaming her now?"

"NO!" the tiger exclaimed, her paw hitting her face. "Just… -Listen, I get that you care for her and maybe want someone to be angry to. But after that wargame, Brittany began training a lot more, getting more used to using her powers offensively." She glared at the cheetah hard. "If I hadn't have pushed her onto that, maybe she'd have had more reservations today? Maybe she'd have been a bit slower, a bit more reserved. Maybe had a second thought, or a worry…" Her tone darkened, and she whispered menacingly. "And if she'd slipped up, let a bit of flame get onto her, burn her and distract her… -been a bit slower, or been in the wrong place and not seen Nick… -It would be game over for her! Do you want that, huh? You'd rather have her dead than racked with PTSD from the attempts on her life?"

"I…" Clawhauser began, only to trail off. "It isn't PTSD," he noted. "She's… -she's scared that she could become the same kind of monster that Jack turned out to be. -She's… -She's just scared… -She's terrified!"

"And you're angry," Judy noted, stepping forwards. Clawhauser was sniffing slightly and looked down at her. "And she's scared…" She looked over to Skye, and to Nick. "Do you think it's time to check up on her?"

Clawhauser smiled. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Yeah," Skye said, smiling. "Need to be bright and sunny to warm her up."

Nick nodded, before looking over at Fangmeyer. "I've thought about it and the answer is no. Sorry frost queen, I guess you're not invited."

The tiger ignored his barb, only to pause as a very young voice piped up. "Can I check on her too?"

Clawhauser looked down, spotting Larry standing by his side.

"I heard she's sad," he noted. "She shouldn't be. She's a hero! But if she's not happy, I can help!"

The big cheetah chuckled, leaning down to pick him up. "Sure you can help," he said, watching as Larry leapt up and climbed up his arm, resting up on his shoulder. "-In any case, some other mammals have come to cheer her up," he noted. "But the more the merrier. Isn't that right, everyone?" He smiled, looking around at the other hopeful and smiling faces, only to pause as he saw a very distinct scowl on a red fox.

"I'm going to let you give me a very good explanation, right now, for such a young kit being here instead of with his parents," Nick said, a distrustful gaze flicking around as he looked at all of the ZED members.

"If we knew who his parents were," Ben explained, clearing his throat as he did so. "Then he'd be home with them now." He watched Nick's head tilt in confusion and clarified. "We took him in after the foster home was unable to handle his empowerment."

The red fox's eyes widened, and he looked away slightly. "Sorry," he said briefly, before dusting his paws and looking up. "Anyway, how about we all go our little sorceress's room and cheer her up!"

With the exception of Fangmeyer, who had too many things to sort out after the chaos, they all went off to find Brittany. As it turned out though, she wasn't in her room. She wasn't alone, either.

.

"Are you sure you're okay, dear?"

"I'm… -I'm doing okay Mum," Brittany replied, smiling a little. She closed her mouth though when she remembered the new gap she had. It made her nervous, even if the pain had gone away thanks to the drugs Dr. Badger had given her. She glanced over at the vet herself, who'd just been organising a trip to the dentist's for her. It was why she was in her office when her family had turned up.

"Well," her Dad noted sadly, "if you need us to be with you, we will be."

"I'll be fine."

"Are you sure," he asked, worried. "Absolutely certain?"

"Yes Dad," she replied, putting a soothing paw on his own. "I promise."

Nigel let out a long sigh, looking down. "I guess, but… -I should have been there to protect you!"

"There wasn't anything you could have done," she said.

"I guess, but I should have still been there," Nigel stressed. "I should have been up in the firing line with you."

"Nigel, dear," Delilah said, looking over to her husband. "Brittany was probably much happier that you were home and safe." She paused, turning back to her daughter. "Aren't you?"

Brittany nodded. "The one thing worse than those people attacking one of my families, is attacking both," she said, sitting up and bringing her dad into a hug. He hugged her back tight, though he still had an unsure look on his face.

"All I've done is run away," he said, absently. "From you, and those who attack you… -You deserve a father who's there for you… -not me…"

"Dad," Brittany said, pulling back and looking him in the eyes. "I want a Dad who's safe, and who I can do this to." She pulled him back into a tight hug, and nuzzled against his chin. He managed a slight guffaw and, a little smile on his face, he held his daughter tight. His wife joined him, as did her youngest.

"You're a hero," Kinsey said, patting her hard. "You're awesome! I hear you saved so many kits!"

"They were only there because of me," Brittany sighed, only for her father to speak up.

"It wasn't your fault," he said, looking at her sternly. "It's my turn to tell you not to think about it. You took all your friends out for a treat, and those guys came in and attacked." He paused, his head tilting a bit. "Any idea who they were?"

"I…" Brittany began, before shaking her head. "No. I have no idea why they used flamethrowers either."

"I may be able to answer that." Brittany shook a bit in surprise and turned to see both Fangmeyer and Karen standing in the doorway. The tiger paused, bringing her phone out and typing on it, while the arctic hare continued speaking. "I did a basic analysis of the weapons from the photographs provided. They seem to be self-manufactured. Anyone with a lathe and a decent workshop could build them, while many components were off the shelf. Most used parts from backpack style garden weedkiller sprayers. Completely untraceable"

"An improvised weapon," the tiger clarified. "While the suits could be ordered online."

"But why did they send flamethrowers up against me?" Brittany asked, confused. Fangmeyer began to speak, only to be interrupted by Kinsey.

"Maybe they didn't know she was there. Or that she had fire powers?" she said, a frown appearing on her muzzle. "Maybe they just wanted to hurt innocent mammals with powers!"

"Rushing in and not planning this could be an explanation," the tiger said, looking at the little kit and nodding slightly. "But I'm guessing that it was planned in advance, given that those weapons would have taken a while to build. Isn't that right, Karen?"

"Simple to build, but time consuming," the hare noted. "Especially if you were making them one at a time."

"Therefore I'm presuming it was a group of mammals who were planning some kind of attack for a long time," the tiger continued. "That little party though gave them a target too juicy to resist." There was a pause as she looked away distastefully. "When they heard about it, they probably jumped up and down, thinking it was a sign or something."

There was a slight shift against Brittany, and she looked to see her mother stepping towards the tiger. "I hope you're not blaming my little hero for anything here."

"No."

…

Fangmeyer cleared her throat and continued. "It's worth noting though that, while these weapons were worse than useless against your daughter, they proved highly effective against two other targets that were present. Ones who might have been the priority target."

"Nick and Skye," Brittany whispered.

Fangmeyer nodded. "When questioning both, they recounted how the pain was paralysing… Enforcer Autumn couldn't move and passed out, which ironically saved the day. Nick Wilde, meanwhile, was able to try and attack but was still subdued." She paused, shaking her head. "I don't know the limits of their healing factors, I guess the attackers didn't as well. But if one of the megafauna attackers tried to flatten their heads with a stomp, I'd lean towards that being too much."

Brittany nodded, looking away slightly. That had almost been her…

A knock on the door interrupted her and, as the door opened, Judy, Skye, Nick, Clawhauser and Larry entered.

"Oh my," Nigel gasped a little, noticing the crowd enter.

Skye looked around, spotting the crowd already in the room, and chuckled. "The more the merrier, can we come in?"

Brittany smiled and waved them in, pulling Skye right into a big hug.

.

.

The next little while was filled with meetings and greetings. Larry, who was tired and fell asleep, spent most of it in one of Clawhauser's shirt pockets. Brittany found it too cute to wake him, while Kinsey, though she didn't say it, was glad of it. Instead, Brittany eagerly introduced her to Skye. In all the chaos and confusion, it was the first time they could meet for a decent while.

"She's my honorary sister," she said, ruffling the little Kit's head.

Skye smiled and, flying around an awestruck Kinsey, giggled. "I get another sister!"

Kinsey giggled, and the two quickly began striking it off.

Meanwhile, Brittany broke free of the little crowd and walked over to Dr. Badger, tapping the vet on the shoulder. The ratel flinched a little, before looking up concerned. "Still suffering?" she asked, glancing at Brittany's muzzle.

"No," she said. She paused, checking that no one was overlooking them, before speaking out. "Have you ever heard of hybrids between normal squirrels and flying squirrels."

"No," she said, concerned. "How come?"

"Before the attack, Larry said that his mother was a flying squirrel," Brittany explained.

"Really?"

"Well, he said he saw her flying."

"But he's a standard grey squirrel."

"I know," Brittany said, nodding her head. "So, I thought I'd check. If he is a hybrid, that could help narrow down the search for his mother."

The vet nodded, turning back to her computer. She entered a few searches and brought up a site called 'Hybrid checker'. The red fox vixen watched as she entered grey squirrel and selected the whole Pteromyini tribe. "I'll take back what I said about this site keeping out of date classifications open," she noted, as she pressed the search button.

She frowned as a clear result was given. No recorded hybrids. She let out a sad sigh and shook her head. "So, the mystery deepens," she muttered, looking behind her. Clawhauser had left to put the little kit to bed, he was exhausted after what had happened today and she couldn't blame him.

"Listen," Dr. Badger said, her voice hushed. Brittany leant over to listen to her. "I shouldn't be doing this. For quite a few reasons actually. But I think this counts as a greater good moment… -I'm going to try a few sources of my own to do some research, helping you and him out."

Brittany smiled, and hugged the vet a bit. "Thanks Madge."

"You're welcome," she said, only to pause, looking over the red fox's shoulder. "-I see your sister's powers are improving."

Brittany turned around and laughed a little. Kinsey, focussing as hard as she could, was hovering a large cookie and making it float around. Skye, lazily flying, was trying to catch it with her mouth.

"NOM!"

Her jaws clamped shut, but the treat was already out of the way, Kinsey shifting it to the side and giggling as she did so. It almost fell to the floor, but the little kit, alarmed, doubled down her focus and stopped it.

Just in time for Skye to sweep down and bite it.

The young kit, suddenly unwinding from the tension and stress of her focus, giggled and clapped as Skye got back on her feet. Brittany joined in, walking over as she did so. "Look at you! You're really getting better."

Kinsey looked up at her and nodded happily. "I know! It's so cool!"

There was a chuckle from the side, as Nick looked on at the Voxen sisters. "Little sorceress and little magician. If you ever wanted to do your own thing, you'd be great at birthday parties."

"Maybe if I practice a little bit more," Kinsey said, as she walked over to a table. "I can lift heavier stuff now." She paused, focussing on an empty mug and lifting it up. She managed to keep a straight face as a slightly alarmed Dr Madge hurried over, her paw held underneath it. "It's okay," Kinsey said, "I won't drop it!" She carried on focussing, suddenly swinging the mug to a sink. Her ears folded back and a predatory look grew on her, as she managed to slowly turn one of the taps, a stream of water coming out. It began filling up the mug, and Kinsey eagerly made the container float up and down as it did so. However, as it filled, it became evident that Kinsey was struggling and, as the water neared the rim, the mug stopped rising and floated down. Kinsey groaned hard, her teeth gritted and showing, but it did nothing to stop the mug dropping down onto the sink.

She let go, breathing in and out as her tongue panted a few times, before she looked up to Brittany, her arms crossed. "If I keep on exercising, I'll get even better!"

"Yes you will," Brittany replied, scooting forwards and picking her sister up in a hug. "Yes you will." She kissed her on the side of her muzzle, before setting her down again.

"Can I do the paperclip thing?" she asked, looking at her parents. Her mother smiled, nodding her on.

"What's the paperclip thing?" Brittany asked, before pausing as Kinsey brought out a jar of paperclips. Putting it down she began to take the lid off, only to stop half way through. Backing off, she used her powers to remove the lid, then focussed on the paperclips inside. They flowed out in a long chain, and Brittany gasped, paws to her muzzle, as it snaked this way and that. Around the various mammals, weaving through light fittings and table legs, doing loops or making waves, before filling the jar back up again.

Brittany gasped. "That's beautiful!"

"It's easy to make lots and lots of little things move," Kinsey explained, as she used her powers to put the lid back on. "If there's six or eight, I can make them each move in their own different ways, but with lots I can just make them follow each other and go in a straight line." She paused giggling, "I think my brain might hurt if I try and make all those move in their own way!"

Nigel chuckled. "My brain hurts just looking at the amazing things my fantastic daughters can do."

"I can sort of make the line change halfway back or so, but it's hard to make the front do funny stuff while doing that," Kinsey carried on. "But it's still pretty as it is!"

"Oh, it really is," Skye said, smiling as she petted the little Kit a little.

"Can you do pretty things with your powers?"

Skye chuckled. "Not really. I can fly and stuff."

"I just run fast," Nick added.

"I kick hard and can fly," Judy added.

"Haven't really tried anything," Fangmeyer, who'd been busy with some emails, said.

"That's sad," Kinsey said softly. "You should be able to use your powers to make pretty things. Brittany's fire and ice can make lots of pretty stuff."

"Yeah," the older Voxen sister said, smiling softly. "Say, how about we go down to the test labs and I'll do some stuff."

"Can I join in!?" Kinsey urged, jumping up and down as she did so.

Brittany smiled. "Of course you can." And so they did, the whole Voxen family going to the labs. Brittany, with her new wand, and Kinsey practiced together. Their parents looked on, tears in their eyes as floating items danced and fire and ice flowed. Kinsey, focussing as hard as she could, got three rings of circling paperclips up, each rotating a different way. Brittany, letting out some flame, conjured a surreal and blurry yet graceful phoenix, which passed through it. The paperclips dropped, bar a single one, which flew over and harried the bird. It couldn't open its beak, but Brittany made it peck away, and the hovering flames chased and swooped after its prey. When it finally caught it, Kinsey had a new idea. Her paperclips pulled themselves up into a rough cloud, which through blurry eyes looked like a dancer, just like Brittany's conjuring looked like a bird. This time though, the older sister built a dancer out of ice and, together, the sisters familiars danced on their stage.

.

.

"No, they're not being a bunch of tailholes. Don't worry Mum."

"…"

Nick chortled a little, shaking his head. "No handbag needed. It's all cool. They just wanted me for some questioning."

"…"

"I'm fine. Thanks."

…

"Love you too, bye!"

Pulling his phone down, Nick placed it back into his pocket. Everything was quiet. He saw the Voxen family, a sleeping Kinsey included, jump back into the Zoober they'd called and leave. Brittany was there, waving them off, and as she turned back to the ZED she spotted him and hurried over.

"Hey there!"

"Hi," he said, waving his paw up.

She smiled, before nodding her head. "Thanks."

"… for…"

"For being a hero, dummy," she said, coming up to him and giving him a light punch on his arm. She paused though, a look of worry coming over her face and, taking a deep breath in and out, she spoke. "I… -I almost died… -Again… -today," she said, with a sniff. "If it weren't for you, I'd be dead…" She trailed off, looking away a bit. "Why does saying that seem so normal now," she said, glumly.

Nick looked on concerned. "It's rough kit," he said. "Things feel dumb and stupid and crazy if you think about them too much… I'd say my mother said 'let it be', but she didn't have nearly as much talent with words."

Brittany giggled a little, shaking her head.

"Besides," he continued, sighing. "You were the one who lifted the flames from me. You're the hero here. You saved me."

"Well in that case, it was Skye who saved us both," Brittany said. "Distracting them so that I could free you, so you could knock down them!"

"So it was," Nick said, nodding his head. He smiled a little, then looked down. "Listen…" he began. "I got a new job recently, out of town. I told Judy at the meerkat markets, that was why I took Lava Girl out then." He paused, shrugging. "Sorry I couldn't tell you a nicer way."

"Don't pant it," she said with a shrug. "I guess... -I'll see you around."

"Yeah. See you next time."

"Next time," she said, sticking out a paw. Nick grabbed it and they shook, before bringing each other into a brief hug. Nick, letting go, turned and vanished in a flash, off to wherever he was going.

…

Brittany was left there, alone.

She turned back into the ZED, soon finding herself with Skye and Judy, who were talking with Fangmeyer. The tiger wasn't happy.

"We're getting pilloried for not 'protecting the families enough'" the tiger was complaining. "If a school is shot, in those places where that happens, does the school protect the families? Do they all go in and shelter there? The whole press is being so obtuse! Grrrr…"

"Do we even know who these guys are yet?" Judy asked.

"The ZPD haven't released anything from the prisoners yet," the tiger sighed, scratching her head. "Tchhh… How can we protect the families if we don't even know who the enemy is? What their motive is?"

Brittany nodded, before her eyes widened. "We offer them my options. My idea!"

The tiger paused, looking up at her.

"-We can say that we're giving them a chance to live on site, under our protection!" Brittany carried on, suddenly more excited. "Tell the press that, everyone will be super happy!"

The tiger nodded. "What was the feedback from your little market research thing, by the way?" she asked. "I forgot about all that until just now…"

"Everyone was super behind it."

Fangmeyer nodded. "I'm a mammal of my word," she noted, looking away slightly. "Even with her viewpoints, I hardly think that the new mayor would object to an increase in funding for this, given what just happened."

Brittany paused, she had a nervous feeling about this. "I wouldn't count on it," she said.

The tiger looked at her curiously, before pausing. She looked over at Skye and Judy, clearing her throat. "I usually refuse to deal with the private sector," she said. "However, I very recently received an exceptional offer. More than enough to build some basic housing on our site _and_ fix any budget issues we have for the near future. It concerns you two," she said, pointing at Skye and Judy.

The two looked at each other curiously.

"You'd just be acting as a bodyguard for an extremely rich client for a week or so. A short enough time so that we could use our existing forces to cover the gap. We could then use the funds to put in place Brittany's plans, and placate the media."

"Just like Nick's new job," Judy noted. "Strange…"

Fangmeyer paused. "I'm not forcing you into this, it's up to you two."

The bunny doe and the fox vixen looked at each other, looked at a hopeful Brittany, and nodded. "We'll do it," they said in unison.


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 **.**

Passing over the border and into the United Mammal States, an unmarked car sailed down the motorway. It was completely unremarkable, just as its owners, the ZED, intended it to be. Inside, Judy and Skye were seated, the bunny in the driver's seat and the non-red red fox vixen in the passenger side.

The bunny couldn't help but giggle as her companion opened the window and stuck her head out of it, her tongue lolling about as they went on.

Judy smirked a little. "Is this why you wanted me to drive?" she asked, though she knew that Skye didn't have a license.

" _Flubbufluvvfluvvaflubba…."_

The bunny couldn't help but crack up a little, before taking some action. Their vehicle was a modern flashy 4X4 with all the mod-cons. It was sized for a use by a wolf or tiger but, like most government vehicles, a 'size-flexible' package had been ordered. Special seats were installed, the seat itself actually able to slide up the backrest to the right level. Once there, the seat surface behind the driver could be folded up at a variety of points, providing a full backrest. The cubby hole behind held a seatbelt which could be pulled out and strapped in on the opposite side, both at the lower level and at the correct height. There were presets for a number of size classes, and while it took a little time to sort itself out, it was easier than lugging a booster seat out and putting it in. Cooler too.

The pedals on the floor were locked out and a second, electronic, set came attached to the seat. Their spacing and distance down were, once again, adjustable and could automatically fit to the presets. Almost the entire cost of the 'size-flexible' package came from the specialist seats. Having power steering, the sensitivity of the wheel was tuned up for her, taking care of that. The only other thing that it came with was an I-Paw dock on the steering wheel. Put an appropriately sized device in and, once the app loaded up, it let her easily change the gears and control other functions, such as the wipers and lights.

One of the few things it didn't control though was the windows, so Judy had to stretch over to the buttons on her door. She just about managed to clip her claw underneath the one that controlled Skye's window, pulling it up.

A glance over, and the vixen was struggling to keep on leaning out. She tried to push her button, making the window go back down, but it was overruled. Sitting in an unadjusted seat, her head had only just about reached out of the window, and she was forced to pull it back in. "Hey…."

"Fun time's over Skye," she teased.

"Fine," the vixen pouted, before looking forwards once more. Relaxing back, she settled down and watched the scenery pass, until she saw a nearby vehicle. "They're doing it too!"

Judy glanced over, spotting a vehicle with a jackal pup nearby. His head was out and hitting the air too.

"He's a pup."

"He's a canid, like me," she pointed out with a shrug. "It's a canid thing," she explained casually, relaxing back a bit. Her legs were only just long enough to hang over the edge of the seat, but she pulled them up and slid them behind her and to the side a little for comfort.

Rolling her eyes, Judy looked over to her companion. "I guess so, but Fangmeyer asked us to be on our 'best behaviour' for this. Besides, don't you get that thing whenever you fly?"

"Sort of," Skye noted. "But doing it in a car is slightly different. Like… -Like the difference between a chicken sandwich made with chicken fried in batter, and a chicken sandwich with a bit of chicken that you breaded and fried!"

Judy chuckled a little, before turning her eye onto the road. It felt good driving, she didn't tend to do it often, being able to fly or take the train to her parent's place… -It wasn't long ago that she'd drove for the first time in ages, what with not having to focus on catching Nick. While she'd heard about a lot of the changes at home, it had been quite something seeing them in person. That and catching up with everyone, meeting new brothers and sisters and nephews and nieces. She paused, sighing.

"That sounded very clouded."

Judy turned to see Skye, who was looking up at her, concerned.

"Just thinking about my family," she explained, turning back to the road. "Need to spend a lot more time visiting them… -catching up." Looking around, she saw the open countryside around her and smiled. "I love Zootopia, but I grew up in the country. It would be nice to spend a lot of time out here again."

"Do your family live near here?" Skye asked, curiously.

"No. This is Deerbrook, to the north. They live in Bunnyburrow, to the Southeast of the city. And about twice as far."

"Nice," she commented. She paused a bit, thinking about it. "I used to live in the countryside too. Don't know where though. I moved to Zootopia and the ZED when I was still a kit." She smiled. "It'll be fun doing country stuff again."

"If we get the time," Judy said, smiling.

"Well, if we don't, that's what holidays are for!"

The bunny chuckled a little. "Maybe you could stay with me at the farm. I could show you all the places there and trails I used to walk along."

Skye smiled, and Judy noticed her float a little in her seat. "Aaaawww. Thanks Judy!"

"You're welcome."

"And if I like that, maybe I could go hiking in the mountains or something the next time," she said, dreamily. She paused, before looking over at Judy. "Or just go back to your place and drive more tractors."

The bunny burst into a little giggle. "Really? Tractors?"

"Yeah," Skye said. "Tractors."

"Well, we have a ton of those, and a whole lot of old vehicles all around."

"You could teach me to drive them," Skye said, her ears pricking up in interest.

Judy nodded. "They'd be the right size for you too."

There was a brief pause, and then a confused 'huh' from the vixen.

"Most bunnies buy old vehicles that are really one or two sizes too big for them," she explained. "Helps with hauling around farm stuff and fitting in more kits, but you have to stretch a fair bit and can only just see about." There was a pause, then a shake of her head. "It's where all the 'bad bunny driver' stereotypes come from."

"The more you know," Skye noted, before looking at Judy's set up. "Cars that can do that are cool," she said, looking at the adjusted seat. "But I always prefer old fashioned things. Big engines and a big gear stick you push around. Hot rods and muscle cars and all…"

"Never knew you for a car lover," Judy said, slightly surprised at the revelation.

Skye just chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "Never really looked into them given my powers," she said. "But before I first flew I was _so_ into cars! I had one of those little pedal car things, the red and yellow ones made of plastic with a roof over you, and my Dad helped me decorate it up like an old school roadster!"

"Awesome!"

"Yeah!" Skye boasted. "I wanted to put a BIG engine in it, though you couldn't really get one in the commune where I was living." She sighed a little. "My father said he'd try to get an electric motor for that, though it caused a lot of anger with…" She paused, shaking her head. "A lot of the other members were getting annoyed at him and, when I got my powers, he chose to move out with me."

She trailed off, and Judy was quiet, thinking about what had been said. It sounded sad, and the emotion was felt through the vehicle.

"-Sorry."

She paused, turning to see Skye fidgeting with the radio. The vixen looked up and smiled. "Made you all a bit cloudy there. Let's have something fun instead."

She tuned in to a pop channel and, soon enough, the girls were singing along. They carried on until they turned off the motorway, running down country roads as they approached their destination.

.

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It wasn't long until they reached it. Driving along a hedgerow, they watched as it vanished, revealing the destination beyond. Past a simple fence a vast orchard of oak trees spread off into the distance, all the way down to a lazy meandering river, a small ribbon of forest on either bank. They paused as they approached a turn-off, a simple five-bar metal gate which was left open. Beyond it, two big coaches were parked up. One of them contained their client. Two mammals in outdoor clothing, security tags and stun-guns visible, walked out to meet them: a bear and an ibex. The former spoke first.

"You the enforcers?" he asked.

Judy, getting out of the vehicle, nodded. "Enforcer Hopps."

"Enforcer Autumn," Skye added.

The Ibex nodded. "This looks like them." He held up a radio and called out. "Boss… -They're here."

He listened on a bit, before pointing at one of the coaches. "He'll see you."

They nodded and walked over. The door was open, they stepped in, and gasped.

The inside wasn't a coach.

It was the ultimate motorhome instead.

They were inside a small lobby area, but no expense had been spared here, given that the floor seemed to be made out of marble. The walls were made of a rich wood, while the ceilings were white with gold inlays. The two girls looked around a bit, gasping slightly, before they brushed their feet and stepped up into the main vehicle proper. The front half contained a richly furnished lounge, dining area and a full-on granite topped kitchen, all merging into one-another. There was also a butler. A real-life full-on butler. The mammal, an armadillo, paused as he noticed them looking at him. He then stood up and addressed them. "Mr. Lanhoff is in his study," he said, before leading them on. He knocked on a door and waited, before a mammal called out.

"Let them in, Howard."

The butler waved them in and through the door they went. They stepped into a large mammal's bedroom, with a bed at one side and a private bathroom at the back. On the other side stood a desk and a chair and, in it, sat a large deer in a suit. He looked up and, putting his book and glasses down, stepped over to meet them. "Hello," he said.

The two enforcers replied likewise. Judy wasn't so sure about what Skye thought, but she could hear an age in the mammal's voice, and she guessed he was late to middle-aged. Indeed, she could see greying furs in his reddish-brown coat. She didn't bring it up though, instead just introducing herself. "I'm enforcer Judy Hopps."

"I'm enforcer Skye Autumn."

"And my name is Edmund Lanhoff," he introduced cordially. "You'll be joining my guard entourage for this week, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," Skye said, only to pause as she heard a strange rhythmic tapping. She looked to her right, and spotted Judy, looking down and beating her foot on the floor, deep in thought. "Uhhh… Judy?"

She looked up and stopped. "Sorry," she said. "It's just I swear I've heard that name before."

"You may well have," the deer noted, a tiny proud smile appearing on his lips. "I've had a long career and grown very rich from it," he noted. "And made many mammals very rich as well."

Judy nodded a little, before her eyes suddenly widened with realisation. "Lanhoff-Piper!" she gasped, sending Skye stepping back.

"Now that does ring a bell," Skye noted, only to pause when she heard the deer chuckling.

"Mainly due to it being the partnership I've been in for the last twenty years," he replied. "Though I assure you, I was already into the billions _well_ before that."

"I can imagine," Judy replied, before turning towards a confused looking Skye. "He's empowered," she explained. "He has a detection ability and can use it to detect mineral deposits."

"A bit more than that," he noted, a little sternly. "It was a very weak detection power, unable to really pick out small things at any real distance. However, it does let me feel larger objects." He paused, closing his eyes and smiling a bit as he did so. "When I was young, I could feel the water and ice in the clouds, or large murmurations of birds…" he trailed off a bit, before his eyes opened once more. "However, I quickly learned that my abilities could be very useful if turned below," he said, looking down at the ground. "Minerals, oil, natural gas and other gasses, -much of the world's pure helium deposits were found by me. Aquifers beneath deserts, deep geothermal fields and even large caves, sealed off and never before seen." He smiled a little. "I used to drive around, locating them, and selling off the locations for a simple percentage of the revenue eventually produced. Or, at least, I did so."

"And then Jeb Piper came along," Judy filled in.

He paused. "Quite."

"Who's he?" Skye asked.

"A black footed ferret," Judy explained, trailing off a bit. "They're a very rare species. Used to be in the '500' club for Zootopia and the states, and I think that the population is still barely above one-thousand. However, one of those families live in Bunnyburrow. I was about the same age as one of their kit's. This boy named Travis." She paused, snickering. "One day, he and his whole family turned up in a deluxe sportscar and in designer gear, and they were apparently going to build a mansion… -Which, for a small species like that, isn't actually that expensive." She paused, shrugging. "Turned out that one black footed ferret was a multi-billionaire and, one day, decided to give every living member of his species one-million bucks!"

Edmund nodded. "He is quite…. -spontaneous, like that," he noted, his ears flicking back a bit as he talked.

Judy nodded. "I looked him up after that and remembered the name 'Lanhoff-Piper'. I'm guessing that's your company."

"Our partnership, yes," he agreed. "He has the ability to push forwards intense shockwaves."

"Similar to my power?" Judy asked.

The buck nodded slightly. "Same family of powers, yes. However, his shockwaves are very small but intense, like a scalpel to your hammer. They're not much larger than himself, but they are wedge shaped and can keep themselves going for several miles, even through rock. More specifically, at the height of his powers, the shockwave almost fuses the rock around the edges solid. Really drains him though, he often has to take a nap to rest after."

"He can blast tunnels," Skye stated.

"Yes," Edmund replied. "They're barely large enough to be used for rodent trains, so he has to go on all fours, and it's too destructive for use in city tunnelling. However, his tunnels make very effective boreholes. That or the perfect place for explosives." Pausing, he smiled slightly, nodding. "Ever heard of the Bradbird scheme?"

"That was in Terra Austrum, wasn't it?" Skye stated, her eyes suddenly widening. "I watched a long documentary about it… -several times in fact."

"Must have been a very interesting documentary," the deer pondered, pausing as he saw Skye's ears droop down.

"I was… -in hospital at the time," she said, her voice wavering a little. "It was one of those mega-engineering programs that got played on the ' _Mammalian Cartographers_ ' channel, and I saw it come around a few times. Nothing much better on…" She paused, before forcing a smile and turning to Judy. "Anyway, the whole plan involved diverting some jungle rivers in the north east which just ran into the sea. One would be dammed and flow through a new canal into the top of another river, and that river would do the same thing further down, pouring lots of water into the third river. This would then be dammed, with water from a corner of the lake being pumped through a tunnel through the coastal mountains and into the rivers that flowed into the outback."

"Indeed. The Bradbird scheme," Edmund said, repeating himself. "His tunnel was a hundred and eighty kilometres long. One-hundred and ten miles. Would have cost a few billion to dig, but thanks to Mr. Piper it came to a fraction of that."

Skye nodded before looking at Judy again. "Using normal mammals, it would be far too expensive, and even with dams you'd have to do a lot of pumping. This guy though could do something like five kilometres of little tunnel a day, though his accuracy was never pin-point. He'd blast it, rest, then walk to the end and blast a little shaft up to the surface in one go and be pulled out. The next day, he'd be lowered back down and start again. It took him forty days or so to cut through, digging a bit further to meet the interior river further down, so you didn't need any pumps. He could go back through the tunnel, doing lots of little blasts to the side and down, always overlapping slightly so that the holes joined up. He'd do that for a day on one side, repeat it on the other, making a sort of triangle you see. The bit left would be blasted and carried away, and they were left with a perfect triangle tunnel! As his powers fused the rock and everything, it didn't need reinforcing." She paused slightly, catching her breath. "Anyway, it took him a year to do that bit, going from either tunnel end and a load of big shafts they'd dug in the middle. It took the diggers another year or so to fully blast and clear the rubble. By that time though the dams were ready, and the water started flowing."

"Which, like with me, is where he made his money," the deer pointed out, smiling a little. "While he got a hundred million, less than the costs of any tunnel bores that would be needed if they tried it the old way, the water sold makes about a billion a year and, before profits, he's entitled to one percent. It pays him quite nicely, and that water helped to turn swathes of useless 'grazing' land into productive orchards and cash crop farms. More importantly, I learnt about him and made him a rather good offer."

"Let me guess," Judy pondered. "You find the oil, he drills it, and together you sell it."

"Right thinking," he complemented. "But not quite. With him and oil, there's a serious blowout problem due to the pressure. Besides, with hybrid cars and biofuels and climate change and all that, it's a dying industry. No. I wanted to be part of the future, and maybe give the old drillers a fair game too by going for something they could never afford to."

"Geothermal fields," Skye said confidently, stepping forwards as she did so. "That's where I've heard of you before!"

"I can sense areas of boiling water trapped miles beneath the surface, he can go out and blast down to it. It then gets turned to electricity in our power stations and, as we each owned half of the initial stock, we get half the profits." He crossed his arms slightly, a smug grin across his face. "Suffice to say, since we now produce a tenth of the world's primary energy and have no intention of stopping, that is a lot of profit. Enough to hire you."

"Fair enough," Judy replied. She paused though, her nose twitching slightly. "I'm guessing you're here to do that again, but I'm wondering why you hired us."

He smiled slightly. "Actually, this site is quite unusual and interesting. We're not here for traditional mineral deposits. Rather, there's a report of buried treasure on this land…"

He was cut off as Skye burst out laughing. "No way! Seriously?"

An absolutely serious expression remained on his face. "My dear, I can sense it… -In fact two separate things, from here. It's, _something_ , for sure."

"Woah."

"Regardless of what it is," he noted absently, looking away. "Given the fact that I'm only getting a ten-percent share, and the ludicrous cost of hiring you two out, I feel this won't be one of my biggest earners."

"But why did you hire us?" Judy repeated, a bit sterner this time.

"Manners, please," he scolded. "I'm paying quite a lot to hire you."

The bunny moved to speak, only to silence herself. Edmund seemed not to notice and carried on. "In any case, I'm hiring you because, as one of his _eccentricities_ , Jeb chose to give a bodyguarding job to a very powerful empowered who, reportedly, just got out of a real life 'fugitive' situation. Now I'm…"

He trailed off, pausing as the two enforcers jaws seemed to drop to the floor. "Is… Anything… -the matter?" he asked tensely.

Judy broke off her gawking, but couldn't help but stutter. "You… you… you…"

"I mean, I was surprised that such a thing existed," he posited.

"But… -that… -that mammal!"

"I…" he began, before pausing, a sudden guilty look on his face. "Listen, I know I should trust him given what happened, and I applaud Jeb for helping. But can you blame me for being a bit nervous? It came as a surprise, and I'm just looking for a bit of extra security until I get to know this guy." He paused, shaking his head. "I mean, I'm not going to go and break a signed contract or anything."

…

"Okay, enforcers," he began tensely. "You are beginning to worry me. What exactly-"

He was cut off as the door opened and an umkempt ferret in a white T-shirt, shorts, and a backwards facing baseball cap marched in. "Hey, Eddy!" he shouted, grinning slightly. "You tryin' to upstage me or somethin'?"

He trailed off too as a perennial silence filled the room. Both he and Edmund looked at Judy and Skye, and then followed their eyes to a very worried looking red fox who'd come in with him.

The fox cleared his throat, turned one of his feet ever so slightly, and spoke. "Okay. I haven't done anything, I swear! Besides, this is out of your jurisdiction anyway!"

"No worries," Judy said, her voice quiet and shell-shocked.

Skye just blinked a few times before collapsing on the floor, thrashing around in a fit of laughs and giggles. Judy tried to keep her mouth shut, but she buckled over a bit, a wet raspberry beginning to escape.

"What on earth is going on!?" Edmund exclaimed.

Judy just about pointed at Nick, before turning up to the deer and speaking. "We know him! He's a friend from work," she managed to say, before bursting into laughter and joining Skye on the floor.


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

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 **AN: This chapter was originally 2,500 words longer. I originally planned it to have a sandwich structure. Started with Judy and Skye, switch over to Brittany, then back to Judy and Skye. However, I decided that the main Brittany section didn't work. Though a bit small, I separated it out. Fortunately for you though, this fun chapter is nice and big, which makes up for it.**

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It had taken a while for everything to clear up, explaining all the minute details of their and Nick's past 'relationship' to the pair who employed them. Jeb Piper in particular found it hilarious. Edmund, meanwhile, simply watched and listened with interest before settling back down into his chair, mumbling about the stupidity of it all. Jeb Piper's teasing and joking didn't help, and the deer had eventually asked the whole bunch if they could leave him alone so that he could process everything. Both Judy and Skye agreed and were shown to their rooms in the other large bus. Built to accommodate Edmund's staff, it contained multiple rooms similar to those in a good quality travel hotel. Clean, warm, comfy and with an adjoining bathroom. There was a minibar fridge full of cool drinks, and a selection of nice snacks for them. A menu was provided, giving them a few options for ordering a basic lunch or snacks, while there was an invite for a professionally cooked meal with their employer come dinner.

After unpacking their things, Skye and Judy chose to wander down to where Nick and his employer were staying. Passing through rows of large oak trees, they saw the occasional tractor drive past, a device fitted to pick up fallen acorns. Moving down towards the wooded area by the river, they found the fox in question next to a large old school campervan, a caravan hitched to its rear. Judy couldn't help but notice that, while in good condition, they were a whole lot less classy than the accommodation they were staying in. Even the realisation that both ones were sized for large mammals, giving a lot of space inside, didn't really make up for it all.

"Hey Nick!" Judy shouted out first, smiling and giving him a wave.

The fox, who'd been sitting down by a little campfire, looked up and smirked. "Carrots, I hope you're not here to apprehend me for cooking unlicensed S'mores."

Stopping by him, Judy crossed her paws and leant in. "Maybe if you refuse to share," she sassed.

He just rolled his eyes, passing one over to her before looking up at Skye. "I'll have another one ready in a bit, Lava Girl."

She smiled. "I…" she began, before pausing. She glanced away, her ears tilting back a little. "I can cook it myself, thanks."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure," she said, looking up and giving him a quick smile. Wandering over, she planted herself down on a seat and assembled a treat, holding it over the fire. Judy, who'd finished her first S'more, did the same…

Something that Nick couldn't help but notice. "Greedy bunny."

"Cruel fox," she joked back.

"Oh no," his eyes went melodramatically wide, and he shook his head in mock self-horror. "Oh dear! I'm afraid that's simply not true."

Judy, fidgeting with her S'more, rolled her eyes. "Oh really, I…"

She was cut off as Nick gave her a light tap on the crown of her head, shaking her. Her S'more almost tumbled and her eyes narrowed, her nose twitching intently.

"Now it's true!"

She turned to face him, only to give a huff as she let it go and smiled, turning back to the fire. "You know," she said, wondering. "This setup is nice, but it's not like the one we've got."

"I don't mind," Nick said, as he pushed another S'more out. "In fact, I quite like it! Nice old camping and all!"

"Still," Skye said, looking up at him. "I don't want your boss treating you less than ours treat us."

"Don't pant it," the red fox said, waving a paw. "I'm good, and it's not like old Jeb is treating me like some lesser." He paused, gesturing over to the camper. "He's worth billions of dollars, and that's where he's staying."

"Seriously?" Judy asked.

"Yeah," Nick noted, nodding his head. "I like the guy. Doesn't let his powers or riches change who he is. I quite like that in a…"

He was cut off by a sudden yelling from inside and turned to face the camper. It quietened down after a moment though, and the fox turned back to his fire. "-Guess he just lost an online match," he noted.

Judy nodded, chuckling. "I heard him scream about a crappy signal and 'a good for nothing useless satellite, not worth the rocket fuel that sent it up there'."

"Yep!" Nick chirped, smiling. "That's ol' Jeb."

There was some more clattering from inside, and soon the ferret was coming out of his RV and looking over the scene. "I'll go in and get out more," he noted, before wandering back in.

"More?" Skye asked.

"Food," Nick replied. "Eggs and meat for lunch. He tends to cook for himself."

"Oh, cool," the vixen replied, pausing for a little before smiling. "I'm guessing we're suddenly invited!"

"Mustelid hospitality at its finest," the red fox said with a smirk.

"Cool," Judy began, only to suddenly pause. She looked down at her S'more, then up at Nick. "You were eating dessert before the main course…"

He gave an innocent shrug. "I was peckish."

"And you called me the greedy bunny," she teased, giving him a playful shove. The fox smirked back.

"Don't tell me you came out all the way here to get me for bad etiquette!"

Judy chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "Nick. We're not here to get you for anything," she reassured him, leaning forwards and putting her paw on one of his. He paused a little, looking down at it as he started to move away, only to relax and hold it back. Judy noted that she liked the feeling of his big maroon paw on hers.

"I know," he replied, relaxing a little bit. "But you suddenly appearing and all…" he paused, sighing a little, only to then chuckle and scratch behind his ear. "It's like the Bunninator was sent after me!"

The description got Judy and Skye laughing out loud, the vixen most of all. It was cut off though as Jeb jumped from his RV, holding stacks of food in his paws. "I got y'all bugga burgers, cheese, buns, chicken skewers an' some cans of beans," he announced, setting it all down as Nick brought out a large pan, placing it over the fire. "-An' there's the cooler of beer too. Help yourself."

Nick nodded, before turning to the two girls. "See, I like this guy."

He chuckled slightly. "Only 'cause I'm payin' ya!" He paused, looking up at Judy. "Now, I got onions for the burgers, and I guess you can eat the buns and beans," he began, "but I don't tend to carry that herbi' crap." He shrugged a bit, gesturing down to the ground. "Though there's all that stuff. I guess."

Judy paused, her nose twitching, before giving a shrug. "I can survive on beans and bread today," she said, as he opened up a tin and began cooking.

Over lunch, they chatted, ate and drank, though Judy and Skye avoided alcohol given their duty. The bunny found Nick's employer friendly enough, though quite rough around the edges. Still, she did feel a bit left out, given that she was stuck with buns and beans while the three predators cooked up their food. Skye in particular was trying hard, though Nick would often lean in to help her. "Leave it for a bit longer," he advised gently, as she cooked a burger, his paw over hers. "Let it get a bit crispy on the bottom, then flip."

Letting go, he let her do it. "There you go!"

"No need to praise me," she said, smiling bashfully as she looked at him.

"I'm guessing you never cooked outside before," he replied.

"Never really cooked period," she noted, shaking her head.

"Well," the red fox began. "For a beginner I think you're doing great."

She gave a nervous laugh, looking away but smiling. "Thanks… You an expert on this?"

He paused, glancing up at Judy, then back down again. "I had a lot of practice, and I'd say I'm a bit of a dab paw at it."

There was a chuckle from Jeb. "You should still know your place," he boasted, pointing to himself. "Remember to hail to the king here!"

Nick looked over to Skye. "Can the lil' Sorceress do this stuff?" he asked, curiously.

She was a bit quiet all of a sudden and glanced away, her ears peeling back. "I…" she began. "-I don't know," she said, a little quickly, before plating her food and making her way back to Judy. Next to her enforcer partner, she was soon talking again, as was everyone else. The joking and ribbing between the four mammals continued on throughout the meal until after they'd packed up. Judy supposed that she and Skye should be heading back to Edmund's vans afterwards, but that was delayed when a large tractor pulled up next to them. As it stopped, they couldn't help but notice that no-one was in the main cab, though the reason for this became clear as a small side cab opened up. Stepping out, a squirrel in farming gear looked up over at them. "You the new bunch?" he asked, looking at Judy and Skye.

"Yes."-"Yep," they replied.

He nodded. "I'm Nate Bushel," he said. "These here are Bushel Orchards." He gestured around, smiling proudly. "Anyway, I'm the one who hired those two prospectors."

Skye nodded. "Yeah. Finding buried treasure or something."

He smiled. "Yeah," he said, "Want me to give you the story behind that?"

The bunny and foxes nodded their heads in agreement and soon learned the reason for them being there…

.

The rest of the day went happily. Back at Edmund's set-up, the deer noted with quiet disinterest that they'd had lunch with his partner, before retreating back into his van to watch a film. Judy and Skye, deciding to take things easy, microwaved a bag of popcorn and settled down to watch some Pawflix together.

Hours ticked by, and soon it came time to eat the dinner offered by Edmund. Stepping up into his van, they settled with him by his dining table and watched as his butler poured each of them a glass of fine wine. Conversation was brief, though when asked about interesting things in his past, their host opened up a bit and spoke with some passion. He also held a keen interest in some of the stories that Judy had of her 'interesting history' with Nick. Eventually the starters arrived, pulled up from the kitchens below them by a dumbwaiter and handed out to each of the diners. This time it was Judy who enjoyed the meal the most, given the rich carrot and squash soup with homemade bread, and the woodland leaf and vegetable salad. Skye passed on the salad but enjoyed the soup and bread. For the main course, she received a tasty chicken and herb dish with vegetables, though the chef's expertise was evidently more in the nut roast that Judy and Edmund received. The bunny in particular couldn't help but extoll its virtues, though on her taste Skye didn't quite see it. Finally, they all received a fine chocolate souffle dessert with raspberry sauce and woodland berries, which all enjoyed in equal measure.

Returning back to their own beds, Judy and Skye settled down. The vixen read a book by herself before she turned the lights out. Judy did much the similar, albeit enjoying some carrot juice and cookies as she did so.

She came to regret that, as she found herself awake again in the small hours. Entering her bathroom, she relieved herself and was about to slip back into her bed when she heard something.

Something bad.

Her ears raised and pivoted about, and the bunny couldn't help but bite her lip with worry as she heard the sound coming from next door. Her ear lay against the wall, and she gulped when she heard whimpering from the other side. Pathetic, broken, despondent whimpering. It began building up though, sobs and even the occasional scream, which tugged at her heart painfully, like a pair of frozen tweezers plucking at the tender flesh. She winced down as she heard Skye begin to plead. " _Please… Please! It hurts! Please! Stop! STOP! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! I'M SORRY! I'M…"_

There was a loud bang and Judy jumped back, shaken. "Skye," she said softly, but loud enough to be heard.

"…Judy?"

"Are you okay Skye?" she asked again. "Are you…"

"No…" she whimpered, sniffing a bit. "Oh crap, I woke you. I'm sorry, I…"

"I was already awake," the bunny interrupted, beginning to walk out. "I'm coming over to…"

"No!" the vixen yipped, as Judy entered the narrow corridor and knocked on her door.

"Skye, listen…"

"No! Please…" she spurted out, and Judy could hear knocking and banging from inside. "I… It's…."

"Is it from the attack?" Judy asked sadly.

…

"Yes… Sort of… -I don't…"

"-We don't have to talk about it," the bunny promised. "We can just hug."

…

There was a slight clatter and the door opened. Skye, standing shaken, dishevelled, her fur all on end and her lip wobbling, was still as Judy's arms came around her. She closed the door, they stepped back into the room, and the vixen broke down, kneeling so that Judy could hold her tight. The bunny stood there in a silent visage, occasionally giving a warm word or a rub along her back, until it was all worked out of her.

Eventually, Skye composed herself. "Thank you," she sniffed. "It… -it just hurt again. So much."

"I'm sorry."

"Why…?" she gasped. "Why do I have to get hurt and hurt and…"

"It's over now," the bunny told her firmly, grabbing her paw. "And that dream wasn't real."

Her lips trembled slightly, and she glanced away. "It felt real," she sniffed, before retreating into her bed.

"You going to be okay?" the bunny asked.

Skye, grabbing her blanket over her and wrapping herself into a tight spiral, tail over nose, nodded. "I think."

Judy nodded. "If you need anything, I'll help. If you're getting hurt again, I'll try and wake you."

There was a sniff, and the vixen nodded. "Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," Judy noted, smiling. She stepped out, pausing as Skye apologised for 'being so cloudy' and returned back to her own room, where she drifted off.

.

.

A few hours later, the bunny woke up again at her usual time and left, deciding to take a walk in the early morning and enjoy the scenery. Skye, though, remained asleep for a few more hours. When she did wake up, she put on a kettle to make some instant coffee before stepping into the shower. It felt good, the warm water soothing her as the pressure jet worked through her fur and to her skin. Soon enough the water was off, she shook out most of it, and then she wrapped herself in a towelling robe before settling down. They'd be having breakfast in a few hours or so before the pair would be getting to work. In the meantime, she brought out her phone, pressed a number, and smiled…

…

Only to frown again as the signal failed. Huffing, she walked around her room, eventually finding a little bit of signal as she sat by the window. Trying again, she smiled and waited, before relaxing as a familiar voice came over the line.

" _Morning Skye_ ," it said groggily.

"Morning Bree," she chirped back. "How are things going?"

" _I… -Good! Good…_ " she said, though Skye's ears drooped as she heard it. She wasn't convinced. " _-I'm off duty the next few days, given that I had my dentist appointment yesterday. New tooth!"_

"Of course," the vixen noted. "I'll be glad to see that smile again."

" _Oh,_ " Brittany teased. " _I think you're going to love it!_ " Skye wasn't sure what to make of that, but she was cut off as Brittany continued. " _Anyway, what have you been up to?"_

"Well," Skye began. "Judy and I are bodyguarding for this super rich empowered mammal. He uses his powers to prospect for minerals, and he partners up with another empowered who can create boreholes to reach them. -Anyway, the partner, and you're going to love this, was the first to decide that he wanted a bodyguard. And guess who he chose?"

"… _Who?"_

"Nick Wilde!"

" _NO WAY!"_

"Yes way!" Skye chirped back, her tail swishing excitedly behind her. "Anyway, our guy wasn't so sure about poor Nick, so he's employing us 'just in case' while he gets to know him."

There was a burst of giggles from the other side. " _That's crazy!"_

"I know right? The look on his face when he saw us!" she said, remembering it sadly. "-Anyway, everyone's seen the funny side now, and we'll be on for the rest of this."

" _Good,"_ Brittany said playfully. " _We need that extra money. Fangmeyer did a press conference where she announced the new housing plans, apparently the UMS army is going to lend us the guys who build their base homes. They'll be arriving down from a factory on trucks in a few weeks. And we've opened up some spare rooms for families. About six have moved in already!"_

"That's great!"

" _I know,"_ Brittany replied, sighing contently. There was a pause, before she spoke. " _I'm guessing that these guys are looking for oil, wherever you are."_

"Not quite," Skye said. "You see, we're at this acorn farm called Bushel Orchards. The owner, this farmer called Nate Bushel, believes there's buried treasure under it."

" _Seriously!?"_

"Uh-hu," Skye noted. "You see, there's a river running through the orchard. Before the dam and locks were built on the Kula rapids, mammals would go up this river in small boats, and either horse teams or then a railway would take the goods over to Haverholt to carry on up Kula river. They did the opposite when going down, off at Haverholt and to this river. Anyway, reportedly there was a boat carrying these massive loads of gold and silver and all sorts that was heading down. However, there was a fire."

" _Woah!"_ Brittany gasped, only to chuckle. " _Is this real? Buried treasure and…"_

"Apparently so," Skye chirped. "I mean my guy says that he can feel two things buried in the ground. They say that the burning boat was beached and, after getting put out, the cargo was recovered. There were a few mammals who looted it before that, but they didn't get away with much. But…! -The ledger that had the cargo written down on it was burned, and so they might not have known if a chunk of it had fallen overboard. It was apparently mixed in with all sorts of stuff for disguise. Timber and lots of worm tallow and stuff, which is what caused the fire."

Brittany gasped. " _This is so cool."_

"I know," Skye agreed. "Nate Bushel said that he found an ingot of platinum a few years back and, after researching the boat and finding some evidence, he chose to hire our guys to help see if anything was there."

" _Wow…"_ the vixen on the other side said. " _And you said this was an acorn farm!"_ There was a little giggle. " _Maybe we should take Larry out to see it,"_ she said, chuckling a bit. It faded off though into a sad sigh. " _The poor kit's had it rough lately."_

Skye's eyes widened a little. "This from the attack?" she asked, her voice quiet.

" _Uh-hu,"_ came the reply, along with a sniff. " _Even though he got out at the beginning, he's been having bad dreams."_

"Oh no!"

" _Yeah, and… -uh… He had one last night. He's in my room now, sleeping!"_ There was a pause, a quiet sob, and a smile. " _He asked Ben if he could stay close to me._ "

"Oh gosh!" Skye cooed. "That's… that's so cute."

" _Yeah,"_ Brittany noted. " _I… -I also like him being here. Even though he's little, it kind of helps. -Helps with my nightmares."_

Skye gasped, a sudden chill tingling down her spine and to her tail. "Please don't tell me you're suffering too."

" _I'm sorry,"_ came the reply, along with a sniff. " _But… -It's the attack, and the one mammal who knocked my tooth out. But… -but it's Jack in there. In the suit…"_

"Oh Bree."

" _And… -he's burning again, and… -and I fight back with my fire and… and… -all I do is just burn everything around me to dust but he's immune... It doesn't touch him, he doesn't burn… -But he's burning already on the inside… -and he… -He just comes up, and I see those burning stripes in that suit… -He grabs me, and we burn together. We burn… we burn together…"_

Skye felt herself weep as Brittany sobbed on the other side. "It's okay," she said, promising. "I… -I had bad dreams about it too. That makes it three of us."

" _I'm sorry…"_

"Don't be," Skye said, sniffing. "Don't be. It's nasty and it's horrid, but it…" She paused, breathing in and out. "It hurts us… -but you'll wake up, and all that hurt is behind us."

" _I know,"_ Brittany said. " _I'll try and keep it there."_

"Me too," Skye promised. "Anyway, I better be going soon…"

" _Okay,"_ she said. " _Bye… -I love you_."

"Love you too, Sis'" Skye said, still feeling that little rush she got from saying that last word before turning off the phone. She turned to wipe the tears from her face before getting up. Re-boiling her kettle to make that coffee, she grabbed a cinnamon biscuit and began nibbling on it. The TV on, she settled down, happy to have a cool down before the day began in earnest. She was nervous though, very nervous, a flicker of different emotions rippling under her skin. Massaging her paws together, she tried to take a few calming breaths before moving to the window, looking out of it and down towards the river longingly.

.

.

Back in the ZED, someone else was only just waking up. His eyelids fluttered, and, with a yawn, Larry woke up in the little shoebox he'd been sleeping in. Getting to his feet, a little unsteady on the stuffed pillow he'd used as a mattress, he jumped over the rim and bounced to the floor, running over to Brittany. The vixen had been talking, but was now scrolling on her phone, reading something. The little mammal made his way towards her leg, only to pause halfway through. He wasn't supposed to do that, was he? Instead, he turned and clambered up the side of her bed, hopping over the duvet until he was right by her.

"I need the toilet!" he announced loudly. He couldn't just use the bathroom in her room, it was way too big. But there was a squirrel sized one in his room.

She yipped slightly from sudden interruption, before turning to face him and smiling. "Right," she said. "Let's take you back to your room, then we can go get some breakfast."

"Can we play after?" he asked, as he jumped onto her open paw.

"We can play all day," she said happily, and off they went.

.

.

The rest of Skye's day went quickly. Soon it was time for breakfast, which was delivered to her room. She happily gorged herself on a big plate of waffles, served with thick whipped cream and a delicious selection of berries. It was so good she requested seconds and, after polishing all that off, she, Judy and the rest of the gang went down to Jeb's place. The campfire still glowed warm there, while a few new mammals crowded around. "I thought I'd treat y'all to a big old crawfish boil tonight," he boasted, chuckling a bit. Judy looked nervously at Edmund, who had a blank expression on his face, while Skye and Nick licked their lips. The ferret glanced over to his herbivorous companions and shrugged. "I called some guys to do these vegetable… -curry, kind of things for you," he said, before pausing. "Can't remember what they're called and whatever, but I guess they're exotic."

"Thank you," Judy said politely, she looked up the Edmund and noticed that he seemed less than convinced. After that, though, the day's work started in earnest. The deer took the lead, closing his eyes and turning around, before walking forwards. Nate Bushel followed, along with a crew and some diggers. It wasn't long before they stopped, the deer standing next to a large oak tree, about a hundred meters from the ribbon like wood that followed the river.

"These are good trees," Nate noted. "Are you sure there's something here."

A slightly indignant look flashed over the deer's face. "Quite sure."

Skye nodded, before pausing. "Hang on just a second," she announced, before lifting up into the air. Everyone watched her soar up, before she floated back down and landed. "I can see the old river path," she said, jumping up and down on the ground. "The river used to flow here, so it makes sense."

"Right," the squirrel announced, waving Jeb over. "Do your thing."

The ferret nodded, walking over to a point that his business partner was pointing at and coiling his legs.

' _HU-THUM!'_

He blasted a hole beneath him, the ground opening up into a perfect circle, and he dropped down it. There was a strange quiet as he was gone, only broken by Nick clearing his throat. "Say…" he began, looking over at Edmund. "You and Jeb don't seem to be the most in sync partnership," he noted, smiling. "How do you manage your little business?"

He shrugged innocently. "We tolerate each other's presence."

…

"Fair 'nuff," the fox noted, as a head popped out of the hole.

"There's a good-sized timber down there," he announced.

"Timber…" Nate pondered, his eyes widening. "Ah… -It must be a boat or something. How interesting, though it wasn't what we were looking for."

"I wouldn't say that," Nick pointed out.

The squirrel turned to speak to him only to stop himself briefly. "In what way exactly?" he eventually said.

"No one knows how the fire started," he pondered. "I mean, the whole thing sounds a bit too crazy to be true, doesn't it?"

"I… -we have firm evidence!" Nate scolded, suddenly defensive and angry.

Nick put his arms up and stepped back a bit. "Easy there. Easy there… -I mean that the whole fire could have been a hustle."

Edmund, who'd been following the exchange, stepped forwards. "An inside job?"

"Exactly," Nick agreed. "This could be a lifeboat or something. Whoever set the fire loaded some goods onto here, only the fire caught him."

Nate looked at him and nodded. "I… -That does make sense."

"And it would be an excellent archaeological find regardless," Edmund pointed out. "Quite fascinating."

Jeb looked at him and shrugged. "That sounds like the job for a digger." He smiled slightly, chuckling. "And I guess that means my work here is done."

Nate paused, looking around, before shrugging. "Why not? Dig down and see what it is, and we can look at the other thing tomorrow."

The party of mammals all nodded in agreement, and then settled back as the diggers got to work. Judy helped them by geyser spiralling a tree that was in the way, though apart from that the empowered in attendance just sat back and watched. By mid-day a large pit had been dug, getting closer to the boat, while Edmund offered to provide lunch.

"Well," Jeb joked. "You mean you'll get your cook to get lunch."

"Says the mammal 'calling in' a crawfish boil," the deer replied.

All in all though, the gang all agreed to it. A table was set up outside Edmund's coach and everyone, even the smaller mammals running the diggers and the occasional larger farmhand, agreed. Delicious food soon flowed out, many of the workers singing its praises. Even the predators were happy, with a spicy Anihonese curry, made with crispy battered chicken, being served. Skye in particular enjoyed it, Judy watching her float up into the air slightly. Looking down though, she saw Nick smiling as he watched Skye float up. His eyes dropped down and met hers, and she felt the need to smile too, he looked so happy. They looked at each other awkwardly for a few seconds before Nick turned back to his food. Judy did so too, though she felt a bit disappointed for some reason. She shrugged it off, before turning back to her food.

Back to the pit afterwards, and they hit it. The first big timber, jutting out of the ground. "Anyone know anything about boats?" Nate asked. The whole crowd just shook their heads, before Jeb walked forwards. "Is all of it uncovered, Eddy?" he asked.

The deer was silent for a second, before nodding his head. "Pretty much, yes."

"Well then," he announced, limbering up. "If any of you have some tough rope, let's get ourselves a boat!"

He went down to base of the pit and fired down with his powers. Travelling to the other side, he did so again. He carried on doing this for the entire length of the boat. It didn't take long for some heavy fabric belts to be provided and Jeb was quick to thread them through his holes. Down one side, up the other, given that they crossed over under the boat. With four diggers ready by the side, and a cradle of earth ready to receive the find, the lift began. The excavators strained, but everyone looked on as the belts rose, cutting through the earth before stopping. Phones out to capture the moment, Nick, Judy and Skye watched as the earth in the middle rose, and worn black timbers were exposed on the side. It didn't take long for what was clearly a boat to be level with them. Badly damaged, rotten, malformed, but it was a boat. Over it went to the earth cradle, where it was rested.

"It looks too old, too large and too substantial to be a lifeboat," Edmund stated, as he stepped up to it and placed a hoof on it with reverence. "The boat carrying stuff down river was a tug or something, I presume."

"I believe so," Nate agreed.

"If it had a lifeboat, it would be the simplest design imaginable," the deer noted. "Just panels of wood. But this… -these are solid oak timbers. Remarkable."

"So, our treasure is at the other place," Jeb remarked.

The deer looked at him, almost sadly. "I'd say this is a treasure as of itself."

The ferret just laughed. "Can it buy me a new dozen cars?"

An unsympathetic look, and the shake of his head, and Edmund was back at the boat. "Properly sorting through this could find some great things. After that, it can be preserved and opened up to the public." He paused, before stepping away and looking back into the pit. Groundwater had already filled in the bottom, which elicited a sigh. "There might be all sorts down there too," he noted. "Though I guess that's a job for some archaeologists."

Nate agreed, nodding his head. "I'm guessing it's too late to do the other site?" he pondered.

"Let's do it tomorrow," Jeb said loudly. "Besides, I want to get this boil on!"

.

.

It was late in the evening, and the area outside Jeb's RV was filled with cheerful mammals. Nick, Skye, the ferret, and pretty much any other pred were as happy as could be, gorging themselves on the crawfish and vegetables that had been laid out. The squirrels who worked the area were happy enough with the vegetables, supplemented with spare acorns from the oak that had been taken down earlier. As for Judy and the Edmund, a fine flower salad and some vegetable curries had been ordered for each. She couldn't help but notice that they went well with the sweet potato and corn. Heck, she thought, as she stood up and joined in some dancing, her family did things like this often. Just with carrots instead of crawfish.

Jeb, ever the host, had supplied them with plenty of drinks, and Judy was quite merry on some cider, she and Skye given permission to party on the job by Edmund. Sitting down, they drank and joked, and Judy found herself looking at Nick often, just following him and smiling as she saw and heard him joke around. Breaking eye contact, she got up, looking at Skye. "Want some more?" she asked.

Skye shrugged. "Sure," she said, though she kept looking forwards.

Judy nodded and went to the cooler. Dodging Skye's gently swishing tail, she grabbed some bottles and followed the vixen's gaze, smiling contently as she saw Nick again. Sitting down and handing over the bottle, they drunk and joked some more. Judy giggled and laughed, before her ears perked up. The ferret was screaming. "Who wants some Bun-Joey!" She roared with everyone else as rock music began pumping out of speakers, at first a teasing hum of noise, though everyone knew that good stuff was to follow. A legendary deep bass chord began pummelling out, followed by powerful drums, vocals, and then power chords on a keyboard. She couldn't help but sing along, even if the lyrics proper hadn't begun yet. "Wu-uh wu-uh uh-uh-uhhh-uh Wu-uh wu-uh uh-uh-uhhh-uh…" The various members of the group began to jump along with it and cheer, whooping and hollering as they did so. Judy was no exception. Around the fire, its hot orange glow reaching up into the sky, she felt happy. She was happy! Dancing along, singing, knocking into the strangers who were to her side. Looking around, she thought about inviting Edmund in, only to spot him looking on from the outside, somewhat disinterested. He turned and made his way back up towards his set-up just as the first lyrics proper, telling of Tommy the dockworker, screamed out.

Scratch that idea. She turned back forwards and burst into laughter as she spotted Jeb on the ground, wiggling about in some unholy mix of an air guitar solo and the weasel war dance. Then again, it was Bun-Joey playing, and she couldn't care less. Her feet went tight as the singer sung about Gina working at the diner, and she gave a little kick of her powers and blasted herself over to the weasel. Skidding on her knees, she windmilled with her arms to hit out some power cords, before a flash of air rushed past her. Skye was there and joining in. Another flash, and Nick was too. They got out together and, tipsy on just the right amount of alcohol, they and the rest of the crew let rip with their vocal chords.

"SHE-SAYS YOU GOTTA HOLD ON! -TO-WHAT WE GOT! …IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF WE MAKE IT OR NOT! WE GOT EACH OTHER, AND THAT'S A LOT FOR LOVE…. WE'LL GIVE IT A SHOT!" Raising her arm for another hard power chord, she looked up to see Nick doing the same, and in that brief second, through the raging adrenaline and the madness of the alcohol, she swore she saw their eyes meet for a second and time slow. Then, in an age and an instant, they both pushed on hard again, tearing their lungs apart as the trio screamed the second half of the chorus. "OOOOOOHHHHHHHHH! WEEEEEEEEE'RRRRRREEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAALLLLFFFFFFFFFWAAAAAAYYYY THEEERRRRRRRRREEEEE! AAAAA-AAAAHHHHHHH! LIIIIIIIVVVVVIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNN' OOOOONNNNNNNNN AAAAAAA PRAAAAAAYYYYEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!"

As the song returned to Tommy once more, she and the two foxes just headbanged in the middle, living the moment. It was absolutely rutting pawesome, and no one could convince her otherwise. She kept up with her air guitaring, making it cry and sing, though her ears perked as she heard Nick trying to sing along to the next verse. "Gina dreams of running away," he went, his voice tinged with a new sadness, the inflection sending a chill down her spine. "When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers…" As he spoke, Skye came up to him, paw on his shoulder, and sung along. "-Baby, it's okay… _some_ day…"

All three together, they launched into another chorus. They ripped through it, then did it again, as it repeated for the outro. The fadeout came, and Judy couldn't help but come up to Nick and bump into him. He shook slightly, glancing away from Skye and down at her. "Watch it Carrots," he teased, looking down at the bunny.

"Noooo…. You watch it, dumb fox!" she slurred a bit back, holding onto his paws to steady herself. She noticed Skye laughing at her and, after turning to give the vixen a death glare and a few nose twitches, returned to the red fox in question.

"I'd better! We got ourselves a Rockstar here…."

"Well," Judy began, only to be cut off as Skye screamed out.

"JUST A SMALL TOWN GIRL…. LIVIN' IN A LONELY WORLD!"

Judy couldn't help but laugh. She'd missed the piano chords, but she picked right back up."-She took the midnight train going an-y-where…" she sung, as she grabbed Nick's paw.

He smiled and looked over to Skye, leading Judy along to the other fox and joining her as he sung too. "Just a small-town boy!" he called out, as a paw went around the vixen's shoulder, pulling her in. She flinched a bit, before looking at him and smiling, both her arm and tail wrapping tightly around him. "Born and raised in south Deertroit. He took the midnight train going an-y-where."

The two foxes, and Judy beside them, eagerly began to air guitar the suddenly growing riff, ending with a final flourish. "A singer in a smoky room…" Together, she and the two foxes sung on, building up louder and louder and louder as the song picked up. Heads banged up and down, and they shook about, rocking all night long. Jeb, in his madness, grabbed two sticks and began air drumming as the loud drum backing began. On and on and on and on they sung. "Strangers… Waiting… Up and down the boulevard….."

It didn't last though, as they quickly reached the roaring, beast like, guitar solo. The air guitars broke out, as did the screaming. "DON'T STOP! BELIEVING! HAAANGGG ON TO THAT FEEEEELINGGG!"

They carried on through that song, and the next one, and then the one after that, the trio caught up in their music. Sometime, during it, Judy had a mad idea and ran forwards, giving a sudden kick and launching herself through the bonfire. In a flash she was engulfed by the heat and then release from it, landing down to cheers and hoots and calls for an encore. There was a zip, Nick flashing through so fast that the flames tore into two vortexes, spinning out. It recovered though but, before the two sides came back together, Skye flew through, landing gracefully with a bow. They were surrounded by cheers and cries of support, and together they bowed down…

…

Their moment was cut short as a pile of dust blasted up and out from right under one of Skye's feet, sending her falling back and screaming.

Judy looked on in shock, screaming out as she did so. "SKYE!"

Nick did just the same, only he rushed to catch her as she fell backwards, stopping her from hitting the ground. The bunny began to run forwards to join her, only to pause as a figure emerged from where Skye had been standing. It was Jeb Piper, having used his powers to cross the fire as well, albeit in a different way. "TA-DA!"

He trailed off as he didn't get quite the reception he'd been planning, his eyes resting on Judy's and hers on his. "What?" he asked, shrugging.

Judy just glanced behind him, and he turned to face Nick and Skye. The red fox had settled the cream coloured fox on a log and had been looking at her, their eyes locked as she reassured him that she was okay. He broke off eye contact though as he saw Jeb, then the hole, then Skye's newly healed foot. He turned to look back at her only to suddenly jolt a little. Blinking a few times and visibly gulping, his lips trembled a bit and he seemed lost for words. He let go of her gently, backing away and seemingly about to say something, only for her to cut him off.

"No worries!" she gasped, standing up again. "No worries… -just…" She paused, looking over at Jeb. "Be careful next time."

"You okay, Skye?" Judy asked.

"Good as new," she said, though she still sounded shaken.

Nick stayed silent, only nodding. "As long as there's no harm done." He paused, looking down at Jeb. "You're very lucky you didn't power up through Carrots' foot!" he said, managing to smile. "She'd still have the other one, and you don't know what she can do with it!"

The ferret turned back to look at the bunny, then stared down at her foot, lingering there for a few seconds. "Maybe I do…" he whispered.

"…Aaaannndddd I think my boss has had too much to drink," Nick said, coming forwards. "Come on, lets' get you to bed."

He hiccupped slightly, before smiling. "Okaaayyyyy…." He slurred, before turning and wandering back to his van, taking a brief interlude to throw up.

Judy watched him before turning back to Nick and Skye, the red fox walking over to her. "Listen," he said quietly. "I think Lava Girl wants to go back, so I think we should all…"

"I don't mind," Skye said.

"Well…" he said a bit tensely, looking over at her. "I think I'll be calling it a day."

"Oh," she noted, pausing for a bit and glancing around before speaking. "So will I!" She flinched back a bit from her outburst, only to giggle. "Yeah. Too much to drink."

"Lightweights," Judy joked with a smile. She waved goodbye to Nick and, together with Skye, they made their way back to their beds. The bunny tried to speak to her partner, but she kept quiet, giving only one or two sentence answers. She seemed tense and worried, and thinking back to the night before, Judy guessed it was from the pain of the accident.

Splitting up, going into their own rooms, the bunny settled down. She heard Skye muttering about a poor phone signal, and saying she'd ' _phone Bree tomorrow_ '. Judy, meanwhile, smiled. She'd had a lot of fun, but she was tired. Worn out. She grabbed her pillow and snuggled it hard, stroking her chin against it. Back at the ZED she had her own stash of stuffed bunnies, to remind her of home and her family, though she didn't really need them anymore. They were just nice to have. But for some reason though, she mused, she was extra clingy tonight.

Certainly extra clingy.

She hugged her pillow tighter, feeling it against her. She noted that none of her little bunnies would do the job, they were too small. What she needed, she imagined, was something big. Big and soft, and warm and alive. Wrapped around her, protecting her. Comforting her. She imagined it, big and red, a soft fluffy brush wrapped around her, as paws held her tight and the bottom of a muzzle rested on the crown of her head. She imagined a voice speaking out and…

Her eyes opened sharply, the pillow exploding into a mist of feathers as she gave it a power kick across the room.

"Oh sweet cheese and crackers," she muttered in horror. She'd just pictured herself sleeping with Nick Wilde. Even worse, she'd loved it, and she still wanted it.

She'd fallen for him.


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

 **.**

 **This chapter was originally place before the Crawfish boil started in the last chapter. However, I decided it didn't fit in so, though it was small, it was worth splitting out.**

 **.**

Back at the ZED, while Skye was at work, Brittany had had a long day with Larry. They'd both had some talking with Clawhauser and, still being on slightly shaky ground, they'd had the day off to just rest and recover together. She'd played with him, pushed him into doing some of his lessons and helped him with maths as a result. She'd read to him, and they watched cartoons together. Now, though, her mind had wandered back to his past.

"You know the foster home?" she asked.

"Huh…" the little kit went. He looked back at her, distracted from the cartoon he was watching, and scurried up to her side.

"The foster home," she repeated. "Do you remember much about it."

"Uhhh…" he began, before shaking his head. "No. Not much. Not much, I… -There was a…" He paused, shaking his head. "I forgot a lot of the names."

"Of all the other mammals?" Brittany asked softly.

He nodded his head. "There were different houses. Sometimes I'd go from one to another and never go back," he said sadly, with a sniff. "I didn't know why. I just got moved."

"Oh Larry," she sniffed, leaning over. She picked up the little squirrel and held him against her, using her thumb to stroke down his back. "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" he asked, curiously. "You did not move me."

"No," she chuckled. "I didn't. But I'm sorry you went through that. You didn't even have mammals who you could be friends with or look after you."

"You and Ben won't move me?" he asked, his lips suddenly trembling.

"Oh no," she said. "The only moving you'll do is to be with your Momma. That's a promise."

"I… I will ask her if I can keep playing with you," he said. "I like you."

Brittany couldn't help but coo in response. His simple statement had made her turn all warm and gooey inside and, unbeknownst to her, her 'hot water sister' was running very high at that point. She looked at the little squirrel she was cradling in her arms and just wanted to snuggle all up to him. "I like you too," she said, suddenly feeling a new urge. To lean down with her muzzle, close to him. To…

"You talk to me," he said. "Other adults only talk to me when I scream or fire at them… But you play with me. That's even better."

She trembled at what he said, having to sniff in a tear and then pull in her powers. Her whole body had started to turn white with frost. That over, her instincts pushed into overdrive. "Larry," she sniffed. "You're a good boy, and you didn't deserve living like that." She stroked him and leant down over her paw. She held him with his spine up, his tail facing away from him, his fur in perfect positioning to give him all the tender loving care he needed. Her tongue came out, and she gave him a loving groom along his back and…

"-ARGHHH!"

She jolted back as he screamed and leapt out of her paw, almost yipping in shock. Recovering, she spotted him down at the end of her bed, ready to scurry off and hide. "Larry?" she asked, utterly confused. "What was that for?"

"You licked me!" he accused.

"Uh…" she began, suddenly even more confused. "That's what you do when grooming," she pointed out.

"It's disgusting!"

"No it's not," she stated matter of factly, blinking a few times as she did so. "It's loving and it's caring, and it makes you feel super loved…"

"It makes you feel sticky and gross!"

She paused, shaking her head, a newfound sense of sadness coming over her. "Larry," she said. "You poor poor thing. Grooming is even nicer than being hugged or kissed. Did they never even give you a brush groom?"

"The brush is not sticky or gross. Still not nice though. You're weird."

She paused, just looking at him, before closing her eyes and cursing herself. "Grooming must not be a thing in squirrels," she pondered out loud. "With us foxes, grooming is always super special. I guess… I guess squirrels don't have that."

He smiled. "Squirrels are lucky! Squirrels don't get all gross!"

She chuckled, before a new idea came into her. Putting her paw beneath the duvet, she ruffled it up and moved it forwards, right next to Larry. Ruffling and ruffling and sweet cheese and crackers, she could feel the urge to pounce at it. "Not going to pounce on it?" she asked.

"Pounce…?"

She looked at where her paw was and bounced up with her hind legs. Arching her back over, her head hit the bed and both paws instinctively scrabbled at the spot.

Larry burst out laughing. "That's silly!"

"It's pouncing," Brittany explained. "The idea is that you'd pounce at my paw, maybe scrabbling at it as well."

"That's dumb."

She shook her head. "It's a way foxes play," she said. "Like how squirrels climb over everything."

"Climbing is… has use."

"-is useful."

"Is useful!"

Brittany chuckled. "Well. I'm sorry for thinking you'd enjoy a groom. I'll just have to hug you instead!"

He paused, a giant grin over his face. "Can't catch me!" he shouted, jumping off the bed.

"Oh yes I can!" she boasted, pouncing off after him. He laughed as she almost caught him, before running off and scrabbling up a wall. She chased after him, and together they laughed and played until the squirrel was all tired out.

…

 _Chirp-Chirp…_

"Hmmm. Interesting."

"What's interesting?"

Brittany looked over at Larry and showed him her phone, an email from Skye on it. "Is that a boat?" he asked.

She nodded. "The mammals Skye is working with found it. It was buried in an acorn farm."

"An acorn farm!" he gasped. "Can I go there?"

She chuckled. "Maybe."

"How did a boat get there. Shouldn't… Shouldn't the boat be at the sea, or a river?"

"Well," Brittany explained. "The boat used to be on a river, and it sank on its bottom. But that river then moved slightly, burying it."

"How… rivers can't move!"

"They can," she explained, her paws up and ready to help illustrate. "When a river bends, the outside of the bend is going faster, so it picks up rocks and soil. The inside is very slow, so stuff the river is carrying get dropped there. So the bends move out and out, and then bits of a curve can join with each other. Understand?"

"That's confusing."

She chuckled, before bringing up her phone and searching for a video of rivers meandering. A quick clarification, looking for a timelapse, and she found one. She pressed play and let Larry come over and watch.

"Woah!" he gasped. "So where the boat was, the river used to go."

"Pretty much."

"That boat must be super old."

"They think it is," Brittany explained. "And they think that a boat carrying lots of treasure may have dropped some nearby. Skye and Judy are looking after the mammals trying to find it."

"Like pirate treasure?"

She chuckled. "No. It was a boat carrying lots of precious metals. Gold and silver and platinum."

"So no pirates?" he asked, a bit disappointed.

"No," Brittany replied, before a giant toothy smile grew on her muzzle. "Arghhh! 'Cause if there were, the dread pirate Brittany Goldfang would lay claim! Arghhh!"

Larry broke down into hysterics. "You are a pirate!" he giggled.

"Arghhh! I am!" she agreed, before breaking down and chuckling. Thinking back to a little decision she'd made not too long ago, she couldn't help but note that it was already totally awesome and worth it.

After that, she settled back down with Larry and turned on the television. Catching a kid's movie, she smiled as Larry watched enchanted, though she soon got a little bored. It wasn't the best kids' film by a long shot. So, she felt herself drift back to her phone. Opening up the news on her phone, her eyes suddenly caught a headline.

' _Mayor gives updated report an anti-empowered terrorist attack'_

Putting her headphones in and clicking play, she listened on as the mayor spoke.

" _We still don't know who these mammals are or why they attacked_ ," she stated firmly. She did have a look of concern on her face and looked incredibly sympathetic as the lights and cameras flashed into her eyes. Brittany didn't quite buy it though. She knew it was personal, arguably even petty, but she didn't care. " _The ZPD have had difficulty due to the captured suspects reportedly being uncooperative. Investigators have found little connection between the mammals, other than the fact that they were both fired from their jobs at Rhinohard security a number of months ago. The investigation is ongoing, but this whole operation appears to be a lone wolf attack, one which came out of nowhere and has left no trace. I am still waiting for more updates, but as long as the ZPD states that it's safe to release them, I will release them."_

There was a pause, a reporter speaking up. " _Where these mammals the same ones who attacked an innocent empowered citizen a number of months ago."_

Brittany paused, remembering her father saying that an antelope or something putting on a light show with their horns had been attacked. If these were the same…

" _No,"_ the mayor stated. " _That has been made clear, and the ZPD have been investigating those mammals in particular. I do believe the ringleader of the first attack is in jail though,"_ she said, a little chuckle escaping. " _Which I think is a very solid alibi."_

There was a pause, some talk going on, before another reporter came forwards. " _Do you feel that your anti-empowered stance emboldened these mammals to do this heinous attack?"_

" _No,"_ she stated firmly. " _It's believed the equipment was being manufactured well before the idea of Lionheart losing his position became a possibility. This has been planned for a very long time and was simply waiting for the chance to strike. When a certain mammal at the ZED chose to bring all those students and their families into a single place for whatever reason, she'd led them straight into a waiting trap without knowing."_

Brittany froze. Bellwether said 'she'. Did she…

" _Could the mammal at the ZED who did this be an inside mammal?"_ someone else asked. She flinched in shock, trembling as she felt a deathly cool hoarfrost creep over her. No… They couldn't… They…

" _I understand the logic behind that theory. From what I gather the organiser in question, a young assistor, does have fire powers, albeit highly unstable and dangerous ones. So dangerous that, after she burned a flat down, she was taken to the ZED as a student at a very young age. Sectioned, if you will… The coincidences certainly stack up, and while I can't see any motive, the instability in her powers may well be shared in her mental state, as it is with many rogue empowered. The ZED, potentially very recklessly, has her out on active duty and in this case in charge of a huge number of under age and defenceless mammals. I can only trust their judgement, though the organisation's track record on such has always been very suspect. All in all though, these are things the ZPD are responsible for looking at. From what I recall, she did cover the retreat and act heroically on that night, and the most likely possibility is that was all genuine."_

There were flashes of cameras and more reporters barking questions, but Brittany didn't notice them. She didn't care. She couldn't care. She'd been frozen with horror as each of those words had rolled out, so many of them stabbing right down into her heart. She felt broken. Terrified. She managed to notice that her phone was trembling. Her paws, ghostly white with frost, were shaking. She… -they couldn't. She'd never… -How many would believe the mayor. How many would ignore her… What… -no… She felt dizzy and realised that she was breathing hard. Faster and faster, but it wasn't working, and she pulled out her phone and desperately searched through her contacts. Down past her parents and Judy, down to the one she needed right now. The one she could talk to and…

She saw her name and pressed call, her phone hitting her ear hard.

She was knotted up with threads of cold and fear and pain, and the failure to call notification felt like a hook dragging and twisting through them all, messing them up a hundred times worse.

Her eyes hurt, icy lances of pain coming from the icicles growing in their corners. Yet more tears were pouring out, fuelling them. She stood up, desperate, not noticing as Larry, crying with worry, spoke her name over and over.

She ran.

She just ran.

Faster and faster, knocking through the corridors and stumbling down the stairs, not knowing where she was going. She felt herself trip and slam to the floor, only to pick herself up again and stumble along. She didn't really notice that much.

Her vision blurred up, she didn't know who it was who found her. Who picked her up and hugged her tight. Who carried her away and settled her down. Slowly, without a word, she cried her tears out and began to recover, noticing that she was in a familiar room. Filled with knick-knacks and collections. The furniture was all far bigger than she was.

She smiled slightly and looked up as Bogo walked in. Pain was etched all over his face. "Again," he said, looking away. "I'm sorry you had to find out about this."

She managed a weak nod as he sat down next to her. Looking away.

"Brittany," he began. "It wasn't supposed to be announced yet… I'm not sure who you heard it from… -But it's true." He huffed, looking away. "And I want you to know, the only one to blame or to hate here is me. I'm sorry, Brittany."

She sniffed, finally managing to reign in her powers. Her fur returned to its familiar red and white, and she managed a brief smile. "You… You don't need to be. -That mayor said those things about me, not you…"

"Listen, I…" he began, only to freeze still. He turned, looking at her, and gulped. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I…" she began. "The interview the mayor did," she said. "Saying I… -I was unstable, and…"

"Oh. I… -wait, she did what!"

"She…" Brittany began, only to freeze once more, a new wave of dread and hoarfrost covering her. She looked up to Bogo, her bottom lip quivering. "What… -What were you talking about?"

…

"Bogo…" she whispered, her paws going against her legs. She saw the misting look in his eyes, and she knew then. She knew.

"They're charging me," he said emotionlessly, before hugging Brittany tight as she collapsed into him, breaking down into tears and frosting over once more.


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

 **.**

 **.**

" _They're charging me…"_

 **.**

She couldn't help but replay what he'd said over and over in her mind. It just seemed to taunt her. When she needed help and protection the most, the city had decided to take it away from her…

She then remembered that the mayor had effectively slandered her, and all she could do was sniff some more. Grit her teeth some more. Hold onto her pillow a bit tighter, even though her claws were pushing through the fabric, and cry into it some more. She didn't even bother to hold in her powers, she didn't care.

It wasn't worth the effort.

She'd just cried into him, then run off back to her own room, so she could wallow in her pity.

Her musings were broken off by a knock on the door, and her ears rose as she heard Bogo speak out. "May I come in?"

"Uh-hu…"

She heard him enter, walking over and setting himself down on her bed. Slowly, she unwrapped herself from her bedding and made her way to him, wrapping her arms around him for comfort. He put one of his around her too, which helped. It reminded her of when she was really young, three or four, and her parents were these big giant things who'd stand tall above her, ready to protect and love…

She sniffed a bit. "After this… -Can I go over to my family for a bit?" she asked.

Bogo looked down at her and gave a little smile. "You're an adult, you can do what you like," he reminded her.

Brittany couldn't help but chuckle. She didn't feel like an adult. She felt like a stupid little kit.

"There's that golden new smile of yours," the cape buffalo said, earning another chuckle. "I was wanting more of that."

"Well," Brittany mumbled, "things got in the way."

There was an awkward pause, before he picked up again. "Fangmeyer's going to town over what Bellwether did," he stated.

"Huh?"

Looking down, Bogo smiled. "She may not be a mammal's mammal, but Kristen was always very protective," he said. "She's written a speech, and should be on air soon, ready to defend you and rip our new mayor to shreds."

"Oh," Brittany noted. "Do I… -have to watch it?"

She felt nervous, not wanting any reminder of what had happened, so it was a relief when Bogo shook his head. "She originally wanted you to be ready to give your side of the story tomorrow, but Ben and I advised her to give you a bit more time."

"Right," she noted. "Thanks."

"Meanwhile," he began, "I've got a lot of savings which could be used to help your family sue that ewe to high heaven." He chuckled a little. "A bit of karmic revenge for your family, life the sound of that?"

A little smile grew on her muzzle. "It's certainly appealing," she said, before pausing. "But can I… -you know, heal and calm down first. I really don't want to think about any of this."

"Sure."

"Yeah," she agreed. "I'd rather feel better than have some revenge, to be honest"

He paused as she said it, before leaning forwards and ruffling her blonde hair. "It's things like that which I admire about you, Brittany. You've made me proud," he said. "And you're a better mammal than I am."

The red fox paused as he said it, before turning down and looking at her paws. "Maybe not," she said quietly. "I'm… I was willing to kill those attackers back then, -and I know they wanted to attack me, but…" She paused, and Bogo moved in to comfort her, only to stop when she carried on. "I… -I know there probably wasn't a better way, but I didn't know it back then," she said. "I just went for the bad way that came to me and went for it. Then, with Nick's help, we found a better one." There was a sniff, and a faint chuckle, as she looked up. "I guess that makes you and me the same."

"No, it doesn't," Bogo said slowly, shaking his head. "You're young and had to decide a matter of life or death in the heat of the moment. I was old and experience but blinded myself for years. I… -There's all the difference in the world."

She shook her head. "I don't think so," she said, hugging him tight. "I'm not mad at you for what you did, you just wanted to help Skye… I… -I just wish you wouldn't be taken away."

"There's no point running," he said firmly. He pushed Brittany away and looked into her eyes. "If you learn one thing from me, please let it me this. When whatever you've done comes to bite your tail, don't run. Stand tall, face it, and take it. -It's all I can do now."

"And I'll stand by you always," she said, before hugging him tight and sniffing some more. The white frost on her fur dusted Bogo as he held her back. "I… I love you."

The large cape buffalo sniffed, before standing up. "And I love you too Brittany. You've made me prouder than you can imagine." He closed his eyes and breathed in, before turning and walking out the door. "

.

.

Brittany slept throughout that night, waking up earlier in the morning. She still felt a bit rotten though, a feeling only partially remedied by a giant breakfast. She didn't have any scheduled shifts today but, trying to keep a focus on something, she dressed up in her ZED gear, just in case there was a giant fire that suddenly needed her assistance.

Assistance…

Was she selfish or weak for not wanting to take her attackers' life? Was she an unstable mammal, like the mayor had alluded to? She wasn't quite sure who she was or what she was doing right then, instead feeling like she'd been tossed up and around like a salad or something. Clawhauser had agreed to have a session with her later in the day but, for now, she could do with some alone time. Returning to her room though, she saw a little figure waiting outside. "Hi there Larry," she said warmly, only to pause as he jumped and bounded towards her leg, giving it a little hug.

"You were upset, as the mayor said nasty things about you," he said, before licking her a few times. She giggled a bit as his attempts at preening failed, his tongue too small and smooth and his attempts sending them against the grain of her fur, rather than with it. When he broke off, hacking and coughing and trying to clear the fur from his tongue, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Aaaaawww, thank you Larry."

Finishing cleaning his tongue, he looked up and frowned. "You foxes are weird."

"No," she replied warmly, holding out her paw for him to jump onto. "We're just built differently." She stuck out her long tongue and let it hang far down, to the point where it was longer than he was, letting him see it up close. He looked on and gasped as he examined all the backwards facing spikes on it, even touching one with his paw.

She waited for the right moment before faking a giant bite forwards. "NOM!"

Larry scrambled back, only to pause and giggle. "CHOMP!" he said out loud, gnawing his teeth at her.

She was feeling better already and knew then what she wanted to do. "Let's go back to your room," she said. "Find some things to play with."

So, as the day carried on, they brought out an old marble run set. It was a bit too small for Brittany, a lot too big for Larry, but they made it work. He loved scrambling up the towers as they grew, offering suggestions as to which new piece would go where. When the marbles were released, they'd make bets as to where they'd come out. He even loved getting close, for instance holding onto the green loop piece as the marbles raced down, up, over and around. At one point, he even climbed inside a bit that reminded Brittany of the cyclone flume on the cruise, marbles coming down then getting launched into a shallow funnel. They'd circle around the hole in the centre, slowly losing speed, before they'd eventually fall in. He said that he'd be able to dodge all the marbles that entered. Brittany entertained him, sending a barrage of marbles from the top and down. Many of them went a different route, splitting at a fork and falling into the Larry's funnel from above, not the side. He hadn't thought about that, but it didn't matter much. He'd already failed to escape pretty much all the marbles that had been coming in the main way.

Afterwards, after comforting him a bit, they were deciding on something new to do when a soft knock came from the door. "Come in," she said, turning to see Clawhauser enter. She then gasped as her parents and Kinsey came in behind. "What are you doing here?"

"Cheering you up!" Kinsey proudly announced, before jumping into her sister's arms. Brittany hugged her tight, impacted by the shock, before turning up to her parents. Delilah stepped forwards and spoke.

"When we heard what the mayor said about you, about what's happening to Bogo, and hearing from Ben that you were really down, we thought you'd need a big cheer me up!"

"We've got lots of surprises waiting for you," Nigel said, smiling.

"Lots and lots!" Kinsey cheered, joining in.

Brittany couldn't help but sniff. She noticed that she was radiating a bit of heat, but that didn't matter. "Guys…" she began, stepping up and smiling. She brought her parents into a tight hug. "Thanks so much, but…"

"But…?" Kinsey asked fearfully.

Brittany looked around, chewing her lip slightly, before glancing down. "I… I've been kind of nervous about stepping off of the campus. I don't want to put you in danger or anything."

"It's fine," Ben replied. "We'll give you an emergency call button. Press it, and Fangmeyer herself will come."

"The Commander…" Brittany gasped. She paused, smiling. "That kinda makes me feel a lot more safe," she said with a giggle. She stood up, taking in her suit. "I'll want to change into something casual, and…" She paused as she looked over at Larry. "Ben…" she began, looking up. "Can I take Larry?"

The cheetah's face slowly began transforming, his mouth going into an 'O' shaped and his paws tuckering up into his chin. "Aaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwww! Sure you can!"

Both her parents looked at each other and nodded their heads. "If he behaves, then sure," her father said, though he rapped his fingers against each other nervously as he said it. "-Will he behave?"

"He's been getting a lot better," she said, looking down at him and feeling proud. "You're going to behave, aren't you?"

"Yes Miss Brittany. I'll behave really good. I promise. I super pro…"

"-I don't believe you!"

All eyes turned to the mammal who'd cut him off. Kinsey. She stood there, keeping a close eye on both Larry and his… -Brittany flinched back as she realised that all the marbles were gone, only to look around and spot them floating up in the air and out of reach. Kinsey was concentrating hard to keep them there, out of his way. "You could just be lying," she said, angrily. "You were mean and hurt my sister last time! This is her special day. You're not gonna do it again!"

"I…" The squirrel began, only to sniff. "I…"

He looked up at Brittany, who looked at Kinsey, then back to him. "How about you apologise to her. And Kinsey, if he says sorry and really means it, will you give him another chance?"

The younger vixen looked on unconvinced, but it didn't matter to Larry. He walked out, staring down at his feet as he did so, and mumbled out an apology. "I'm sorry I was mean. And angry. I'm sorry for climbing on you and hurting Brittany. I won't do it again."

…

Taking a deep breath in and out, Kinsey relaxed a bit. "You can come," she said, with an air of authority. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you."

.

.

Soon the family were out on their excursion. The first place they called at was an all sizes play area. Similar to a giant jungle gym, it was there to allow kits of all sorts of sizes to play with each other. Because of that, though, you'd also get a fair number of parents playing along. Brittany found herself playing with her sister, playing tag while navigating the 3D maze that had been set out. Delilah was playing too, though she was far more cautious and thus slower. As for Larry, the area for mammals like him was separate, but the tubes and tunnels interviewed with the larger mammal area. He loved being able to climb and encounter other similar sized mammals. Especially other squirrels. For a while, Brittany and Kinsey would try and race after him, keeping up with the better climber. Eventually, though, he found a new friend. A chinchilla called Chet. Brittany chose to leave them together, practicing parkour, while she went after Kinsey. Brittany was IT, and she had to catch that little mammal if it was the last thing they did. She ended up chasing her down a long slide and into a ball pit, cornering her. "Not going to get out of this one!" she teased.

Kinsey just closed her eyes and focussed, and Brittany yelped as all the balls around her leapt up and into her, both hitting her and then staying put, smothering her in a ball suit.

Despite all the rattling and noise from the balls bumping into each other, Brittany could still hear Kinsey giggling. Even worse, she heard Larry and his new friend laughing.

"Oh Balls!" the squirrel shouted, before they all burst into laughter.

Luckily for Brittany, it made Kinsey lose concentration. The balls dropping, she saw her sister just as she realised her mistake. It was too late though, as Brittany coiled up her back legs and pounced, coming in right down on top of her and carrying her into the pit.

"Tag!"

.

Afterwards, they all went to a restaurant for a meal. The foxes filled up on meaty and fishy burritos and other mexicat food. Larry, meanwhile, enjoyed stuffing himself with acorn meal tortillas, along with guacamole and other stuff. He even tried a bit of the meat and liked it, and so he had a little side of BBQ pulled chicken donated to him by Kinsey.

"I wasn't going to finish it all," she said, pausing as she looked at him. "And he is getting nicer."

"Yeah," Brittany replied. "Took a bit of work, but he's getting there."

Her father nodded in agreement. "You know…" he began, only to pause, his eyes going wide. "Brittany," he said blankly. "What's up with your tooth?"

She looked at him and smiled, revelling in how he became even more shocked. "I was wondering when you'd notice this," she said with a chuckle.

"Notice wha…." Delilah began to say, only to trail off as she too saw what her husband and notice.

Kinsey looked over and gasped. "Woah! That's cool!"

"I know," Brittany giggled.

"I'd disagree… a bit…" her father began, only to be cut off as she chuckled some more.

"Come on," she said. "It was the same cost to me as a boring white tooth, and the ZED were paying anyway!"

"I know."

"And this is totally cooler," she announced proudly, pulling up her top lip and exposing her new gold canine tooth for all to see. "Besides…" She began, before baring her teeth and holding her knife in her paw like a sword. "It is I! The dread pirate Brittany Goldfang! ARGHHHHHHHH!"

.

"Well," Nigel said matter-of-factly as he turned to his wife. "I guess this one was on me."

Brittany just laughed, before turning to Kinsey and Larry. "You two love it. Don't you?"

They looked at each other, nodded, and then looked at her. "Aaaaaarrrrghhhhhh!"

.

.

After the meal, the day was rounded off with a trip to the cinema. While fairly full, they got two buckets of popcorn from the coyote at the stand and settled down to enjoy the film. They were like any other family… Almost. Brittany couldn't help but feel a sense of Deja-vu for some odd reason. The film hadn't started yet, the adverts still rolling, and Brittany excused herself to go to the toilets. That, and to think. Why… why was she feeling like this?

"I thought it was you."

She paused and froze, turning around. There, not far away, stood the coyote who'd served her family. "Do I know you?" she asked.

He paused, his muzzle twitching, before he looked down at the ground. "You… kind of…" he said. "Lyle Canston… -we met at the natural history museum."

It took a few seconds to process, but then her eyes went wide. He was the empowered mammal who'd tried to steal the moon rocks, and who she and Judy had stopped. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Working. Weekend job."

Brittany blinked a few times. "Ask a stupid question," she muttered, before shaking her head.

"Get a stupid answer," he replied. He paused, clearing his throat a bit, before carrying on. "I'd like to… -uhhh…. -well, thank you. To be fair."

"Thank me?" she asked.

He nodded. "I… I learnt about my powers only a few years ago and was sort of keeping them a secret. But… -have you ever suffered from 'the call'?"

Brittany shook her head. 'The Call' was the name given to the overwhelming urge that some mammals had to use their powers or to enhance them. It was what often drove some of them to the more cartoony side of villainy and, thinking back, he seemed like a textbook case. "No," she replied. "Though a friend at the ZED does. But it just makes him want to create lots of plants and flowers."

She thought she heard the coyote mutter 'lucky' under his breath but paid it no mind. She instead just listened on. "It was like this horrible drive. This.. this desire," he explained. "And at first I could cope, but it grew and grew and grew. By the end, I'd look up and see the moon during the day and could only focus on it, everything fading out. Or my mind would be so swimming with desires, I couldn't sleep. By… by the end, I was beginning to pass out, and my grades had tanked." He looked down, shaking his head. "I was an idiot who didn't want to tell my parents. But, in the end, sometimes the migraines… -they seemed like they were clawing at me, and some moon rook would fix it all. I guess…. -I just couldn't take it anymore, so I went out to steal that rock, and you got in the way."

"I guess it must have sucked."

"Yeah," he said. "I felt such a relief when I got that rock, you know. Like all my troubles had been swept away, and I felt like a god with these little figures by the side that I could play with. Like I was on top of the world, and then it was all taken. And I felt the call come back, more horrid than ever." He looked down glumly. "That, and I was terrified that my family would hate me, and I'd be dumped in jail for years… -I felt like I just wanted to stop existing. If… If I could… -I'd of killed myself while in that holding cell."

"What happened?"

"I was in a power dampening field, so I couldn't use my powers anyway. It helped my call a bit." He paused though, before smiling. "But they put me on these special drugs, and… -and it was like I was normal again. I… -That's why I'm thanking you."

"Well," Brittany replied. "That was more Judy's work, but thanks."

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm… I'm on probation now, but all I need to do is take my drugs. Apparently, I'm legally fine using my powers for normal stuff, and if I ever have enough money to buy a moon rock legit, it should all be fine. But… -well, I don't want to mess with those powers for a long long time. Just had to spend the whole summer catching up with schoolwork and putting my life back together thanks to them."

"And thanks to me," Brittany replied. "But… -I hope you the best."

"Thank you," he replied. "And you too."

After all that, Brittany went to the toilet and then returned, just as the film proper started. She and her family watched and enjoyed it, though by the end they were getting tired. As the credits rolled, Nigel happily announced that they'd be heading home to their place for a bit.

"Yeah," Brittany agreed. "Sounds like a nice way to end the day." She was getting a bit tired and was carrying Larry on her shoulder, holding him up with one paw as he dozed off.

"It's not the end of the day," Kinsey announced.

"Isn't it?" she asked.

"We've got one last treat for you, both for today and most of tomorrow," her father said.

"What is it?"

Kinsey immediately answered, jumping up and down as she did so. "SLEEPOVER!"

Brittany gasped, before smiling. "So soon?"

"We've got it all arranged," Delilah explained. "We go home, get her stuff sorted, relax a bit and then drop you both off!"

"They've got some tests and stuff for her to try out too," Nigel said proudly. "All thanks to you. I'm so proud of you, you know?"

"We both are," her mother agreed, as she came over and gave Brittany a hug. The older vixen couldn't help but sniff a bit. "Guys…" she said. "Thanks. This sounds so good!" She meant it too, she really felt better after this whole recharge day. She was going to make a joke or something, only to get caught off as Larry began wiggling. "You waking up there?" she asked, as he mumbled in his sleep before settling down. "I guess not…" she added, before petting the back of his head a bit.

"You really care for him, don't you?" her father asked.

"Yeah," she noted. "Well…."

"It reminds me of your mother, with both you and Kinsey," he said, moving forwards. "I think you've fallen for him, you know?"

Her feet figuratively froze to the floor, and she stayed rooted there, looking at the little squirrel kit resting on her.

….

"Oh crap," she muttered, before mentally kicking herself as she realised that she was holding Larry just that little bit tighter. She looked down at him and, thinking it through, realised that she didn't want to let him go. She wanted to keep him by her. She was a total goner. "Oh crap," she repeated. "Oh total crap…"

"Hey," her father said, coming forwards. "It's not bad!" There was a pause, and a little chuckle. "In-fact I think it's quite cute."

"You don't understand," she said, looking up at them. "I promised to find his mother! I promised to reunite them, and I promised that I would not replace her!" She looked down again and cringed as she tried to push him away from her but found she didn't. Her urges to keep him next to her, and warm and comfy, won out by far. "-And I'm breaking it now…" she said.

Her father looked on silently, before her mother came out. "Dear," she said, hugging her. "I think you know the answer to this problem. Don't you?"

She shook her head.

"He can have two families. Just like you."

She felt the weight taken from her shoulders in an instant, before she went forwards and hugged her tight, still carrying Larry as she did so. "Thanks…" she said, feeling so relieved. "I guess we'll see what will happen."

.

.

After getting back to the apartment, Brittany joined her mother in the kitchen, slowly getting to grips with baking cakes. There was talk about the mayor, and the family agreed that they'd take Bogo's offer up. The prospect of paying her back, now the dust had settled, did feel rather good. That talk over, the mother and daughter activities continued much to Brittany's great enjoyment, though something else was on her mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Larry woke up, before starting to play a little videogame with Kinsey. They were getting on well together.

Still…

She was going to have to tell him the truth about her feelings soon. Very soon. Because she was not going to lie to a little Kit. That was a red line that she would not cross.

Finishing a round of cupcakes and putting them in the oven, she settled back and wondered. Closing her eyes, she used her vision to look into the ZED, where she spotted several of the new families. In their rooms, they were playing games or watching TV. Opening her eyes, she looked at the little family of her own.

She felt good.

She didn't need to be this perfect action enforcer, always at the edge of danger, to be a hero. She didn't need to be battling like in the war game, or at the restaurant, or with mammals like the reformed coyote. She could be a hero doing the little things. Bringing families back together. Loving and helping a young and angry child. It was the kind of hero she wanted to be.

 _Chirp-Chirp…_

She pulled up her phone, wondering if it was from Skye. The reception the fox got out there was awful, so it might have taken her some time to get the message across. She opened it and read.

It wasn't from Skye.

It was from Ben.

The DNA test results had arrived, and she could look at them later on. Looking up at Larry, she held herself tightly. Tonight, she was going to be a hero.


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

.

.

Over at Bushel Orchards, another day of work was progressing fast. Both with the squirrel workforce, Nate chief among them, and the empowered. With the exception of Edmund Lanhoff, Skye Autumn and Nick Wilde, most of the mammals were struggling a bit from the hectic night before. Both tired and hungover.

Judy assembled with the rest, having dosed herself up with an aspirin, as the deer led them out to the second spot. His partner, looking very untidy, marched by him and channelled his power down. The bunny couldn't help but flinch from the sound of the impact, which felt like one of Jack's crushing attacks being used on her brain. Trembling down a bit, she soon noticed a paw on the back of her shoulders. "Feeling alright Fluff?"

She looked up and bit her lip. It was Nick. The red fox was standing by her, a look of concern on his face. "Just a bit of a headache," she explained, the empowered vulpine nodding in response.

A different voice spoke up. "Judy?" Looking over, the bunny now saw Skye next to her, a look of concern on her face too. She felt Nick back off a little, and he paused before speaking.

"She's just struggling a bit after last night."

"Oh…" she said sympathetically, looking down. "Want any help Ju…"

"-I'm good," Nick interrupted suddenly. Judy looked up to him, and saw his eyes look down and fix on her. "I mean… -we're good. Together. Aren't we carrots?"

Her nose twitched a few times as he said it. She did feel good. She felt good as she saw him look down on her, concern and nerves written on his face. "Sure," she said, nodding.

"Yeah," Nick replied, looking up at Skye and relaxing a bit. He let out a laugh, before shaking his head. "We're all good. Thanks for the help though."

She stepped back a bit. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Well… I… -We're good for now," he managed to say, before smiling. Though he was looking at the floor, away from either of the two enforcers, he spoke out warmly. "Really. Thanks for offering a helping paw though."

Skye nodded a bit, her lower jaw wiggling around a bit in thought, before she replied. "You're welcome. Always willing to lend one of those."

"So am I," Nick replied, a smug grin growing on his muzzle. "After all, they don't take long to grow back."

Both Judy and Skye broke down into a little giggle, the bunny rolling her eyes at the corniness of it. She looked over at Skye and gave a nod of her head. "Thanks for the offer Skye, but Nick can handle me."

"Right," the vixen agreed, nodding her head slightly. "I'll… -do other stuff. See ya."

"See ya," Nick said a bit too loudly, causing Judy to wince down a little. The fox, seeing this, knelt down beside her and rubbed his paw on her temple. "This helping?" he asked.

"Not really…" she began, before stopping as his paw stopped doing its thing. "Though it was helping a little. So maybe keep on doing it."

"You're the boss," he replied, as he carried on his massage. Judy relaxed a little, before pausing in thought.

"How come you and Skye aren't hungover," she asked. "Your healing powers?"

"Pretty much," he replied. He paused, closing his eyes and thinking. "My healing powers were discovered fairly early on. -First skinned knee and all. They did a lot of tests to see what kind it was."

"What kind?" She asked, curious.

He nodded back. "Yeah. What kind. Lots of types of ways to super heal. I mean, it could just be a sped-up healing process. However, my body heals without scars and does it properly, so it's not that. At the same time, there's the whole question of how it deals with cancer."

"Cancer?" she asked, a bit nervous.

"The healing system could either ignore it, recognise and destroy cancer cells…" he began. "Or… it could be inside the cancer cells, which means you could get cancer with super healing."

"Oh my…" she whispered.

"Yeah," Nick replied frankly. "Fortunately, my healing powers try to correct my body to the state it is in the majority of my DNA. That means fixing the DNA itself if it ever has any faults." He paused, looking up and away. "Kind of a lot of implications with that…" he said to the wind.

Judy paused, looking up at him. "So, does this mean it clears out the alcohol?"

"Not exactly," he said, waving a paw about. "Toxins can still get into me and are carried by my bloodstream. I just fix all the damage they do. I still get drunk, but not hungover."

"I so envy you right now," she joked.

Nick smiled back. "Then prepare to hulk out without the muscles Fluff. The same thing works for diseases. It means the closest thing to a cold I get is a light tickle at the back of my throat."

"Jealous. But not fully."

"I've never lost a day to a pad cut."

"Pushing it!"

He looked at her smugly. "I've never gotten a mouth ulcer in my life."

Judy looked at him, her nose twitching. "I so want those powers right now. Invincibility? Cool. But not having to suffer all those little annoyances? That's just unfair."

He laughed a bit, before shaking his head. "Tough luck Carrots." He paused though, thinking. "It's not quite invincibility though."

"Isn't it?"

"If enough of me is damaged or dies, it could tip me over," he mused. "Diseases wouldn't do it, but enough poison to wipe out most of my cells might overwhelm my healing, and then it's…" He trailed off as he said it. "Ditto for my brain cells." He quieted down, closing his eyes and thinking back. "If those attackers had stomped my head… -maybe my healing powers would have fixed it if left alone, but with all the fire, I don't think my powers would have kept up. There's… There's got to be a point where it cuts off."

"Maybe there isn't?" she wondered out loud.

Nick let out a barking laugh in response. "Carrots, I wondered that when I was seven. So, I cut off this little sliver of my ear…"

"Ouch," she winced, her ears going down. She rubbed one of them and looked up at him, wide eyed. "Why would you do that?"

He shrugged. "I thought it would heal and grow into another me."

Judy looked at him blankly.

"Hey! Kit logic. Don't judge."

A grin grew across her face, and she managed to laugh slightly. "It's a good thing it didn't work. Imagine an army of Nicks!"

The fox smiled. "I wanted a friend, and who better than me? Certainly gives a new meaning to Me-tosis. Though an army is tempting. Imagine the look on Bogo's or Fangmeyer's face," he said. " _Especially_ when they realised that they couldn't tell who the original was, and we'd both have to be let free!"

Judy laughed hard. "I'd probably be mad at you for cheating!"

"In the words of my father, an avid trekkie mind you," Nick stated proudly. "I merely did the James Piberius Kirk method of not losing."

"Well," she said, calming down a bit. "It didn't work out that way." She paused, before looking over at one of her ears, still in her paws. "Did you have to choose an ear though? Quite a sensitive spot for bunnies."

"Kit logic. Don't judge."

She relaxed a bit, letting go of her ear, and smiled back. "I won't. I'm guessing you need a bit more to heal. Probably your heart."

"Kind of," he replied, patting it. "The docs said that, if I ever had a heart attack, my body would heal the cells there. But as long as the artery was blocked, and it got no food or oxygen, it wouldn't be able to beat. So, after a bit, my other cells would start to die. The healing would slow it, to an extent, but after a certain point it would all collapse and fail."

Judy nodded solemnly. The conversation had gone a bit dark, though Nick didn't seem to mind. Maybe, with how much he'd been through that would kill a regular mammal, he didn't care. She paused, thinking about how to change the subject. "Before you fell into trouble, what did you plan to do? I know you didn't want to join the ZED."

"Not really then," he said. "Especially not now." He paused, closing his eyes and thinking back. "I knew about my super speed since I was eight. I was looking at some jobs that would let me use them." There was a soft chuckle. "As my DNA healed itself, I could manage just fine in some pretty radioactive environments. A few space agencies actually said that, if they were planning a Mars mission or something, they might get in touch."

"Woah!" Judy giggled. "That's cool."

Nick chuckled. "Yeah, well… -In reality, I was probably going to do a lot of clean up work at toxic dumps and nuclear facilities. My body can fix the damage and all…" He paused, sighing as he looked away. "You know, I didn't really want to do that at the time. My old agent had all these well-paying jobs lined up, but it was just putting a hazmat suit on and driving a mini digger in old spent fuel pools. It paid well, but I wanted something more… Something exciting." There was a pause and a chuckle. "Boy, did I learn to be careful about what you wish for."

"Yeah," Judy agreed. "But it's over now." She paused, before scooting up next to him. She noticed that he flinched slightly from the contact, before settling down. "I wanted to be a cop when I was little. Then, I learnt I had my powers, so enforcer it was…. -It was nice, knowing what you wanted to be and getting it." She looked up and smiled. "Life's treated me very nicely so far."

Nick smiled back. "Now I'm jealous."

There was a brief pause, as Judy looked up into his eyes. Thinking. Wondering. She bit her lip, before taking a breath in. "Nick," she began. "I understand if…"

She was cut off by a sudden shout, which sent her flinching back down in pain. "I THINK WE'VE FOUND OUR TREASURE!"

Recovering, she looked over to see Jeb looking out of his hole. He'd punted up another set of holes in the meantime, and already the digger crew were coming close, ready to hook down beneath it. "It's all melted together or something. We can just pull it out!"

Judy looked at him and nodded, before turning back to Nick. Her ears drooped slightly when she saw that he'd gone over to help his boss. 'Another time', she told herself. 'Another time…'

.

It didn't take long for the treasure to be pulled out. It was about the size of a sheep and appeared as a black lumpy mass, its outside chard and burnt. They quickly hosed it down, before a large mammal working for Nate came over and tried to chip off a large nodule, about the size of Judy. But he struggled, and the squirrel then called over Jeb and Judy. The ferret sent a cutting pulse through the neck of the module, a hard ringing sound calling out. Judy flinched from it, feeling a little bit dizzy, and he let out a few more cuts, narrowing the neck down but sending out that ringing all again, before Judy fired a geyser spiral to finish it off.

It tore off and let out a loud ring, the bunny falling to the floor suddenly before standing up again, massaging her head. Screw her hangover… She'd done her job though, and the chunk had been torn off, flying through the air and landing in another part of the field. "I'll get it!" Skye called, leaping up to fly. Up she went, the rest of the crowd gathered to see where the chunk had been taken from. A white and silvery surface shone out, strangely alluring to the crowd.

"My precious," Nick joked, and he and the other mammals laughed as the odd tension dissolved. Together, along with Skye as she returned back, they looked at the massive chunk of long buried treasure, now recovered. Edmund, turning to Jeb, smiled.

"Despite our new expenses, I have the feeling that this will be very profitable for us," he said.

Nate Bushell laughed. "Incredibly profitable for me, too!" he joked.

Soon a massive truck had pulled up, and the treasure placed down and secured. Skye, floating around it, made sure to take tons of pictures. Paws were shaken, and Judy watched the rhino driving of the truck, dabbing his eyes, get in and fire up the engine. Off it went, and the remaining mammals relaxed.

Their little job was complete.

"I may have blown out yesterday," Jeb said. "But we can still do a campfire thing tonight!" He looked over at Edmund, a big grin on his muzzle. "Want to join in!"

The deer looked began, twitching his mouth about before sighing. "If you insist."

.

.

While the night before had been a giant party, this was a quieter affair. After spending some time sorting things out, Skye taking the time to email some pictures and stuff back to Brittany, the group made a big fire pit and, sitting around it, cooked some food that had been provided. The predators enjoyed it the most, getting to grill burgers, sausages and kebabs. Edmund stayed along too, for politeness's sake, and he and Judy shared some vegetarian sausages.

"I must say," the older deer noted, looking to Judy. "I think this is appeals far more to predators than us."

Judy, who was eating her own hot dog, shrugged. "It's nice enough. But it's the social thing that you really go for here. That and the S'mores."

There was a chuckle from Skye, and the cream coloured fox floated over them. "You can't forget those. Can you?"

"No, you can't," she replied. She was cut off though as Jeb stood up. "Anyone got any good campfire songs?" he asked, looking around. There was a long pause, before Skye put her paw up.

"More a folky song, but if any of you have a guitar, I can plan."

"I didn't know you could play," both Nick and Judy said at once. They looked at each other and giggled, before Skye flew down and flicked both of their ears.

"My father taught me," she said, before going over to Jeb. He handed her the instrument, which was a little electric device designed to fit in his paws. It had an in-built synthesiser and a mode-switch, and she turned it to acoustic before giving some practice strums. A few practice chords, then some more, as she closed her eyes and tried to remember. "I'm horribly rusty," she said, before launching into the song proper with a set of repeating chords.

" _Do you remember… -the first sun glow_ …" she sung softly. " _Through the window… -at the back of… your sleepy mind_."

" _Mother above you…_

 _-her warm pillow._

 _Father come and goes…_

 _-with the feast -of -his no shows…"_

There was a brief pause, before she hit down on the chords harder, and a new power entered her voice. She sung out louder, more confidently, and Judy couldn't help but feel something heartfelt in what she was singing.

" _But like the Spring-Time Sun-sets, you're grow-ing ol-der…_

 _And you wake from the sleep, with strength in your shoul-ders…_

- _And with them be-hind you, you peer over the edge of… -your little nest_ …." She trailed off, holding the last word for a few seconds before hitting down hard on her guitar as the whole rhythm hit the accelerator.

" _And you fly and you fly,_

 _with the wind in your face._

 _A love and a care for,_

 _your new time and place._

 _Fledgling wings, carry you with grace,_

 _Free in your dreams, with that happy happy face."_

" _LITTLE BIIIIRDDDD…._

 _Flying 'round the sky,_

 _LITTLE BIIIIRDDDD…._

 _So happy -and-I-know-why…"_

Her guitaring trailed off into a little solo, though it didn't go far. Struggling, Skye quickly went back into straight chords, ready to start singing again. The tune changed again, returning to what it was at the start.

" _As. I've. Been there,_

 _And I remember._

 _That. First. Sun glow._

 _Through the window._

 _And I pull back my tears,_

 _-and I forget all my fears, for you…._

 _As I raised you, to be hap-py and free,_

 _And I bet you, that's what you'll all-ways be…"_

She hit a few more powerful strums, returning back to the accelerated tune she'd used in the verse before.

" _Little bird, little bird,_

 _Fly up to the sun,_

 _Be happy and joyous,_

 _Loving and fun._

 _We always know that, -it's in your heart…"_

Her claws gave a finally strumming flourish with the guitar, and out came the last line. " _-And it was such an honour, -to give you the very best start…"_ Her flourish built and built, before she released it in one. Skye broke off and took a quick bow to a round of applause, Judy making sure her claps were nice and loud. There were loud claps coming from beside her, and she looked over to see Nick.

"She's good," she noted, looking over to Skye. Edmund was discussing the song with her, wondering if the lyrics of the first verse were originally written for tune of ' _Absolutely Sweet Marie'_ or ' _Apple Cider Reconstitution_.' The vixen couldn't answer.

"Yeah," Nick agreed, glancing between her and Skye. Jeb, having heard about the conversation between Edmund and Skye, was now bringing up ' _Sweet Mary's Cider'_ , and his great enjoyment of it, much to the vixen's amusement.

Judy giggled a bit and looked up to Nick. He was smiling, and he looked warm, and she knew that she owed it to him to confess her feelings. Especially as, more than ever, she felt that there was something coming back towards her. Starting with how he'd held her and cared for her during the war games, to how he'd looked around the meerkat markets with her. To their dancing the night before, and how he'd brushed Skye away to be alone with her this morning…

She just needed the right time to tell him. To see if it was true.

So, she waited.

She waited as S'mores were made, and the group enjoyed themselves.

She waited as Edmund said he wanted to go back to his lodgings. As he stood up to go, Judy asked if she could walk with him to get some stuff. It gave her an excuse to go and tidy herself up, making herself look just a bit better for Nick when she told him. That, and some time to try and figure out what to say. She mused as she walked up the hill, as she gave her fur a brush in her room, and as she walked back down. There were butterflies in her stomach the entire time, and nerves that she'd never felt in any battle before were beginning to taunt her. Her whole midsection felt knotted and tense. After all, she was in love with the mammal she'd hunted for years and was about to tell him that.

She arrived back down at the campsite, and she felt her heart get stabbed with a jagged knife of worry as she saw only Jeb. "Where's Nick?" she asked, getting the attention of the dozing ferret.

"He… -I guess he went down to the river. Has a place he likes to sit."

The ferret stood up and slowly made his way back to the camper, Judy giving him a quick thanks as he did so. There was a clear path up ahead, and she followed in as it passed through the thickening woods and undergrowth. The sun had set, it was getting dark and, while Judy could still see where she was going, she had to take care not to tumble or slip. Turning around a switchback, she smiled and relaxed as she saw a small beach like clearing up ahead. There, surrounded by small bluffs and thick trees, was a little flat semi-circle of sand that slowly sloped into the lazy river. By the water's edge was an old tree root, toppled over, and on it sat Nick

"I know you're there, you know," he said smoothly.

Judy felt a grin grow on her mouth, and she opened her mouth to speak, only to cut it off at the last second. Another voice had called out in response.

"I know."

Skye.

Judy, moving into the overgrowth to hide herself slightly, watched as the cream coloured vixen walked in front of her, slowly making her way to Nick. She must have come down the same path, only to turn left at the end, blocking her from Judy's view.

"Any reason why you're here?" he asked.

There was a pause, a long pause, before Skye answered. "No reason. Other than that it's a pretty spot." She walked over to Nick and leant by his log, looking out over the river as it slowly rolled past.

…

"Just like your song."

"Huh?"

"Just like your song," Nick replied, looking down at her. "It was pretty."

"Oh," she said, pausing before shaking her head. "I… -my father, he wrote that song. For me. When I was little."

"My father wasn't a songwriter," Nick replied, as he slipped off the log and walked out. His toes touched the edge of the water and, leaning down, he picked up a stone and threw it out. It bounced a few times, before sinking into the blackness. There was a sigh, as Nick felt down a bit. He breathed in, before speaking out. "I wasn't that old when I lost him."

There was a gasp, and Skye walked up next to him. He twitched a bit as he felt her arm over his shoulder and, taking a breath in and out, he carried on. "-Accident. He was doing some repair work for a friend and got shocked when some idiot put the power back on. It didn't kill him, but… From what I gather, the friend put him down to recover and went off to scream at that idiot. He… -he choked on his tongue."

"Oh gosh…" she whispered. "I'm so sorry." Even from afar, Judy heard it and felt a wave of sympathy.

Nick breathed in and out, pinching his muzzle, and gave a shrug. "I felt so guilty, given that I could heal myself. Of course, I knew that it wouldn't have saved him in any way but… -kit logic. It just seemed unfair. With help from my mother, she suggested I find a way to help mammals to feel better. That only made me want to join the junior ranger scouts even more." He scoffed slightly, before shaking his head. "Turns out though that my local pack were all anti-vulpites," he muttered, bitterly. "I was giving me oath, promising to be 'Brave, honest, helpful and trustworthy,' and then their leader said, 'Even though you're a fox'."

"I didn't know those kinds of jerks still existed," Skye noted, looking down.

"They shoved me to the ground, and it looked like they were trying to reach for something, I don't know what…" Nick began to say, before trailing off, a smile growing on his muzzle. "However, as I started to scramble back, the fear kickstarted my speed powers." He gave a little laugh and shook his shoulders. "I guess karma was looking down on me that day. I remember shooting back into a cabinet, spraying up bits of the flooring and giving them all lots of splinters in the face. They were terrified and ran off while I, after getting over the shock and healing myself up, ran home."

"Sounds like they got what they deserved," she said, holding him a bit tighter. "You… you didn't deserve that. You didn't deserve many of the things that happened to you."

Nick gave a quick hum, not really giving the statement much care. That whole event didn't really affect him that much, given how quickly he got out and how little was done. Shaken a bit, for sure, but it wasn't life changing. He just carried on with his story, skipping a few more stones as he did it. "Anyway, after telling my mother, she explained what happened to the scout master. I settled down a lot. I chose to never let bullies like that see that they got to me, but apart from that I was okay. I was too young for the police to really get involved, but the ZED did come around. This big chief, and I remember looking on, and getting scared. It looked like he was trying to scare my mother into sending me away there…" He paused and scoffed, shaking his head. "I'm surprised he wasn't the first commander that she hand-bagged," he joked. "She said no, but I never really trusted the ZED after that."

"I… -I understand," Skye said, letting go of him. She picked up her own stones and began skipping them. "I didn't know my mother. Not really. From what I heard, she chose to abandon my father with me as a kit." She spoke sadly, looking out. "I still have a few memories of my old home, and her there, but then they went. My father lost faith with a lot of things, and together we went to live at this hippy commune place…"

"Are cult organisations a trend with you," Nick asked, smiling a bit as Skye scoffed.

"I guess so. I remember more of that place. I also… -I also remember some of the mammals not being nice to my father, and some of the kits to me. Because he had his powers, and there was this whole mess with the internal politics." She sighed, looking down. "When I started flying it got worse. There were other cubs who'd try and tie weights to me, and say I needed it so that I'd be equal to them. In the end, my father called it quits and became an enforcer, entering me into the academy. We finally found a home…"

This time it was Nick who, tenderly, comforted Skye. He cautiously placed one of his paws down on hers, only to see it flinch back. "Sorry," she said, looking at him. "Made you really cloudy there, didn't I?" She looked away shamefully. "Didn't need to do that."

"I'm glad you told me."

"Tchhh… You're just saying that," she dismissed.

Nick looked on at her for a few seconds, before his muzzle twitched. "What's this whole cloudy- sunny thing anyway?" he asked. "You keep on saying sorry for making me cloudy. Why?"

"Because I'm putting you on a downer," she explained. "My Dad always used to say that you could be a sunny person for other mammals, or a rainy person. But it was always a good thing to be nice and sunny for everyone, to help make their day a bit nicer."

Nick looked on unconvinced. "That sounds like faking your emotions or something. Not a good idea."

Skye looked over at him slyly. "Didn't you say 'never let them see that they get to you'?" she sassed.

"Never letting them see is not 'not feeling'," he explained, paw to heart. "In private, I'm very well versed in both letting them get to me and getting said feelings out. I just don't give them the satisfaction of seeing that in person."

Skye nodded. "It's like that with me," she said, looking away. "He said it was like being polite. That's how he viewed it. But he said that, if you ever needed help, family would be happy to get wet as you cried yourself out." There was a pause. Then a sniff. Nick looked over as Skye wiped a tear from her eye, then another. "He'd always be there for me…" she said hoarsely, as her eyes misted up and she sobbed some more. Nick edged himself over and put his arms around her to hold her tight.

"Skye?" he asked. "What's wrong…"

She sniffed some more, before trying to pull it all in. "It's… -It's too cloudy…" she said, waving a paw at him. "Don't… don't worry about it." She shifted, trying to move away, but Nick held onto her, keeping her in place.

"I don't mind," he replied. "Besides, we're 'family'. We're joined by blood, aren't we?"

She scoffed a little through her tears, though she remained quiet. "Give me a bit of time," she said, and Nick waited. Waited as she cried some more, and tried to compose herself, before finally being ready.

"You know… you know Jack and I were partners. Both enforcers. Battling the bad guys."

"Yes," he replied

"Well," she sniffed. "We were friends to begin with. Good friends. And… -and then, we became more…" Her voice hung in the air, receding into silence as she sniffed, wiping her eyes here and there. "I fell in love with him... And him with me... And I did love him... I really did. He was charming, and he was kind, and funny. He was always this little… -this little bit pompous, or…" She broke off, pulling in another sniff, only to sob out. "I… -I don't know how to say it. He was just cute when he… -when he did it, you know… -and I… -and I liked it." A little guffaw came out, even through her tears. "You're not supposed to call a bunny cute and… when I did it to him, he'd go all proud like… -just like what I was saying… 'I'm not cute Skye'… -but he was his most cute then and…. -he'd smile afterwards, letting me… letting me know he enjoyed the joke." Nick's paw rested on hers, and she held it back, holding it tight. "He'd… He'd lift a table and chairs with a feast set out… up… up into the sky…. Into the stars, and we'd…. dine above the clouds with the stars above and the city lights down below, and he'd be this charmer and I loved him and we'd then tango in the air…. I loved him with every… -every part of me."

"He fooled a lot of mammals," Nick said, gently stroking the top of her paw with his thumb. He sniffed too, out of sympathy for how much worse his betrayal was.

"They test us. Test us for 'the call' quite often," she said blankly. "All the other mental things. They… -they did that when he started to slip, and it came back negative." Turning up, she looked Nick straight in the eyes. "He was like that… that… all along. Don't you understand? He didn't change… He didn't turn into… That was who he really was, and I couldn't see. No-one could. No one… Only you."

"Don't blame yourself," Nick said. "I… -I didn't see it in those ranger scouts. Some mammals can hide their inner monster well. He was your boyfriend, but that's all. He's gone now…"

She looked at him, lines of pain growing in her eyes as she broke down into more tears, collapsing into him. Nick hugged her tight as her body racked from the choking, teeth baring, sobs, until she finally spoke. "I was going to propose…"

"Oh Skye…"

"I'd got the ring," she said, her voice hoarse and painful. "I was waiting, and my Dad gave me the thumbs up… -Was looking forwards to it…" She broke down into a new round of sobs, before screaming out. "And then he went mad…. -he went mad, and called on me to come with him… -I didn't tell him, but… but he asked me to be his queen and… -and when I said no… -when I said no…"

"I know," Nick replied, remembering what she'd told him.

"No," she said. "You… You don't." He looked on at her, her body doubled over and her head almost between her knees. Her paw slipped from his grasp, and she held her head tight, her claws digging in. He winced slightly as he saw pricks of blood coming from them. "That battle… we… we were even. I knew his style, and I could dodge, and things were even. He… he was getting angrier, and I thought I'd win. Fangmeyer was returning back… Together…" She trailed off. "He then launched an attack, not at me, but the west wing."

"Of the ZED?"

She nodded, before whimpering. "My… my father's room…"

Nick winced back, feeling like an icy dagger had been thrust into him and twisted around. He could feel so much pain and sympathy, desperate to make it right, but it was only made worse as he knew he couldn't. That, and it was so much worse for her. She'd lost so much that terrible, terrible day.

"He was on the nocturnal shift," she whispered through her tears. "He was fast asleep. He went to bed, and…"

"Skye…"

"-I saw it, and I turned to help, but he planned that. He planned it, and caught me, and…"

She let loose a new round of tears as Nick held her tight. Just being there for her.

…

"I miss him…" she eventually said. "I miss him so much…" The red fox listened to it all, helping to hold her while managing to wipe away some of the tears pouring out of her eyes, and those out of his. She looked up at him, then down shamefully. "I've… -I've gone and made you rainy too," she said harshly, scolding herself. "Stupid dumb old Skye…"

"No," Nick said. "No. Don't say that. Look. It's over. You're healthy now. You're alive and… -and my healing powers, they stop aging. You'll have all the time in the world to get over it…" He paused, managing to smile. "Why do you think I cared so little about my time as a fugitive. It… -It'll fade Skye, I promise. It's all over."

…

"No," she whispered. She looked up at him and shook her head, before wincing back down.

"Why not?"

…

"You."

Nick's ears stood up, and he felt the sadness he'd felt get blown away, replaced with an empty shock. A hollow shock. As if he were a suddenly blank canvas, ready to be filled in again, yet unsure what the first brush stroke would be. He opened his mouth to speak, but Skye spoke first.

"Nick, I…" she began to say, only for her lip to tremble and another sob to flow through her. "Nick… -I think… -I know… -I… -I love you Nick. I love you. You… you…. You gave me my life back, and then you were my friend, and you saved me and my sister. That… -that meal we had… -I felt it then but…" She sobbed and stood up, pushing Nick away. He stumbled back, narrowly avoiding a fall into the river, as Skye ran over to a tree trunk and leant against it. Forehead to the bark, arms crossed across her eyes, she stood there as tears fell down her like rain, dripping off her muzzle and onto the sand. "I'm scared!" she sobbed out loud. "I'm so scared! Ruttin' terrified and… and… I don't know what to do…. -I want to love you, and you… you're probably great and kind, I know you are… -But I'm… -You can't… -Not again." She choked back a sob and shook ahead. "Not again… I don't want it to happen again. I'm scared… I'm so scared…."

.

.

"Skye," Nick said, walking up beside her.

"Go," she told him, half barking it out. "Go… Go with Judy… -I…. -I saw you today… -I saw how she looked at you, and… -Be happy with her, please. I'm too broken for love. Too scared."

…

"I was scared too," he said, looking at the floor as he did so. He fumbled with his paws, slowly finding the words, before speaking. "Scared of this being… -So real. Remember last night? When Jeb punched through your foot and I caught you?"

She nodded her head.

"I… I looked into your eyes, then away. I was scared at first for you, and I looked at the others, and as I did so this thought came into me. About why I was scared of you getting hurt. Then a certain word just popped in there, and then everything was suddenly clear. And then I was scared because I…" he said, looking away. "-Because right then I felt the same way you do now."

Skye let out a painful sound, as if she'd been kicked in the stomach, and shook her head. "No… -just… -it's too… Too weird, you and I… -Imagine a… a… -head doctor vet mammal… -whatever they're called, asking about us and… and how you gave me your blood and fixed me and… -too crazy or…"

"You freed me," he said. "I freed you. Both times from Jack. Both our lives cut down… Maybe it is crazy," he said, looking up as his fur bristled and his muscles tensed. "I don't care Skye… Not anymore. I felt that I wanted to be around you since we met, but I didn't know why until last night. When I saw your eyes then, I was afraid too… Of… of it getting too real, so I backed off a bit. I spent some time with Judy, as I wanted some distance." He paused, looking away slightly. "She's fun, she's nice. Maybe I do have some feelings for her." He let out a strong guffaw. "-Though if you want crazy relationships for a psychiatrist, being with bunny ex-Javert is a bit higher than ours."

This time Skye managed to giggle, though she stayed looking away.

"Skye," Nick said, not with comfort or cynicism or humour, but truthfully. Heartfelt. "Skye. I love you, and I promise. I promise that I'll never leave you or hurt you like Jack did. On my father's grave, I won't."

She'd stopped crying, and stood up, turning down to face him. Her fur was a horrible mess, all unkempt and tear stained, while her eyes were raw. Her muzzle still trembled though, and her whole body shook, even though her feet were planted to the ground.

"If anyone, even you, is cruel to me," he said, "I can outrun them. But Skye… Angel… -Lava Girl, you can do one better… You can heal from any wound, but you don't have to get them in the first place." He smiled, and waved a paw up to the night's sky. "Do your thing, Lava Girl."

She stepped forwards, and her paw never touched the floor. She flew up, rising above Nick and out of his reach, before gliding back down, landing in front of him. She was trembling, and new tears were coming down her. "I'm scared," she said, her voice cracking and wavering as her paws met his and they held together.

"I'll do all I can to help that," he promised. "Because, Skye, you're an angel whose wings need fixing."

She flinched slightly, her trembling increasing, before she leant forwards. With a scared sob, the tip of her muzzle touched Nick's and they joined, embracing for just a second. She broke it off though, a seed of doubt having dragged her away harshly. But looking at Nick, she felt the will to do this and buried that seed as far down as she could, however hard it was. She tried again, and this time her tongue came out, sliding into his warm mouth only to flinch back as it caught one of his sharp teeth.

She stepped back, shaking, as she looked into Nick's eyes in front of him. Night had rolled in around them and the wind had stopped. Embers from the campfire, golden and still warm, drifted between them like fireflies and she, like and angel, stood there. The fear was still there, but as she gazed into his eyes and felt her body, all fixed and new, she felt good. She was an angel, holy again, and through one last fear laced sob she pushed forwards. Their mouths hit, and their tongues embraced, and soon they were dancing in the warmth, sending flows of passion into each other. Still kissing, Skye let go of his paws and hugged him so tight her claws dug in, holding on for dear life. She felts his arms around hers, and his tail around her body and hers around his, and she held on and kissed tighter. She was still crying and, as they broke it, she pushed her head over his shoulder, holding him hard as she cried out. Not out of fear anymore, and maybe not out of joy either, but of a blessed sense of relief and freedom and a hundred other things she couldn't name. Nick, hugging her back, let a few tears drip down his muzzle too, as he held a mammal he loved and never wanted to let go of.

Neither of them knew of a third mammal who was crying, making her way back to her bed. She'd cried for her friend and was happy for them. Both of them.

But it still hurt…

And she still cried.

She left them alone though.

Now was their moment, not hers.


	30. Chapter 29

**(AN: We'll be looking at Larry's family tree this chapter, and I made a version which is up on the A03 copy of this fic. If you want to look at that (it may help you to make sense of it all) go there. Otherwise, if don't mind or enjoy getting a pencil and pen out, go to the fanfic version.)**

 **.**

 **AN: After the last chapter, I want to talk about WildeHopps for just a sec. I LOVE WildeHopps. In the main canon, the pair don't just interact and get on brilliantly, both complement each other and having a great chemistry. On top of that, there's a great amount of underlying symbolism. Both had the world test them at similar times, one hardened and one broke, though both had damage from it. Damage that they helped each other heal. Make better. Again, I love WildeHopps, because of how much there is behind it.**

 **Now, I don't like the idea of destiny in stories. I do like rhymes though. That means in tons and tons of AU, Nick can come together for those same brilliant reasons. But, I'm not a solid adherent to that ship and, if I feel things are different, I'll have a different outcome.**

 **This fic was originally based around Brittany reforming the ZED, and Bogo's fall from grace was included from the start. I felt that Skye would be the one to do that and, thinking what would happen next, I realised that she and Nick would be drawn to each other. I knew very early on that this fic would be a WildeSkye one, and I built towards that. Just like how Nick and Judy have such a strong bond in the film, I realised that (unwittingly), Nick and Skye had been set up with one in this fic. I felt that WildeSkye was a natural, inevitable, progression of these characters in this setting… and, unlike a certain famous tv series recently, I'm not one to have characters snap out of character for the sake of plot point checklists.**

 **As for Judy developing her feelings towards him? Well, I wanted to show that there's still an element of the WildeHopps chemistry there. It's handicapped due to their unfortunate past, but in my view they could work it out. The beach scene was one of the most vivid ones in my mind, existing from the first outline, and I wanted to create something beautiful, bittersweet, incredible, etc…**

 **Our Bunny is a little hurt, yes. But I wanted to show that she was a mature adult who, while acknowledging her feelings, can manage with this just fine. She can get over it. She's happy for the pair (and note, Nick's 'Javert' joke wasn't intended to be made in spite or anything. If said normally, Judy would find it slightly amusing.) I was going to have her like this to the end, strong and independent and happy for both herself and them, until none other than Cimar (WildeHopps) suggested something better. That amazing roo came up with a way to make everyone here happy. Judy will get someone (already met in this fic, who you may already know pretty well), who'll make her equally as happy as Nick could (don't take my word for this, it's Cimar approved).**

 **Anyway, yeah. I didn't put this at the end of the last chapter as I wanted to leave it at the end, letting it sink in. I was** _ **maybe**_ **hoping for a few more comments, but I'm totally not salty about that (** _ **totally am**_ **). Anyway, enough of me talking, on with the next chapter.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 29**

.

The door to Brittany's room opened up swiftly, letting her walk inside, Kinsey following behind her, still hopping and slipping slightly from the excitement of it all. Carrying a sleeping bag and a little rucksack, she dropped them down, giggling and laughing as she ran and pounced onto the bed. She jumped up and down and screamed out. "SLEEPOVER!"

"YEAH!" Brittany replied, an excited look on her face. She paused on hearing a tired little snort coming from behind her and, looking over, she spotted Larry resting in Ben's arms.

"I'll tuck him in," the cheetah said dotingly, looking down at the tiny kit he held.

"You do that," Brittany replied, walking over and looking down at the tiny squirrel. "You rest well, little one," she said, before pausing.

Thinking...

Doubting…

She brushed it aside and leant in, giving him a quick kiss. "Love you, and we'll have you back to your mother soon." He stirred a bit, wiggling about, only to wrap in on himself tightly.

"Night you two," Ben said, giving them a wave. And, with that, off he went, Brittany closing the door behind her and turning back to her sister. Kinsey was on her tip-toes, peeking out of the big round window at the campus and city beyond. Her tail was wagging rapidly, and she turned back, dumping her coat on the bed as she leapt off onto the floor.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked excitedly.

Brittany looked on and smiled. "Let's unpack your stuff first," she said, her sister nodding eagerly in response. She'd only brought a single spare change of clothes, alongside her ' _Luna the Moon Princess'_ pyjamas, so that stuff was staying in her bag. As was the little toiletries bag and the book she'd brought to read.

"Pig of the dump?" the elder sister asked, looking at the cover. A young modern pink skinned pig boy was in a cave with a boar next to him. The latter was a lot more animalistic than the average boar and had a prehistoric look to him, helped by the fact that he wore shaggy pelts of wool and furs.

"It's about a boy who finds a cave mammal living in a quarry," she said happily. "I think he got lost in time… -He still calls himself pig, so he came from before name's were invented."

"You enjoying it?"

"It's okay," Kinsey said, speaking in that sincere but brutally honest way that kids could. "I find it's a bit tough to read, and I forget bits and get confused here and there."

Brittany nodded, before peeking into the bag some more. There was some microwave popcorn for them to have, as well as a… "Is that what I think it is?!" She asked, leaning in to pick it out. "It is!" Out came a little green duck plush, the one that Brittany had given Kinsey back when they were still getting to know each other. She hugged it up against her, even rubbing him against the side of her cheek a little. "Welcome back little guy!"

There was a giggle from Kinsey. "He gets to see all his friends again!"

With a nod, Brittany placed him up on the shelf with the rest of her collection, before turning back down. "Anything else?"

"I have some fur clips and ties, and a makeup kit, so we can go groom ourselves _really_ good. I have some other snacks… And then just my sleeping bag," she said, going over to its bag and pulling it out. Brittany couldn't help but smile as she saw the face of….

"-The princesses from Floatzen."

There was a giggle. "You thought it'd be Luna?"

"Did I? Well, yes I did."

"FOOLED YOU!" she said, giggling, before her tail dipped down. "Also… We couldn't find a Luna one," she said, sadly. "I wanted a Luna one."

"Awww. There there," Brittany replied, walking over. Her sister walked over and hugged her, an act returned, before they sat down. "Are you hungry?"

"Nu-uh."

"Well, after your practice session with Karen, we can get some late snacks if you are," Brittany said, thinking. "She said she'd be here soon."

"Could we watch some funny videos?"

"For a little bit," Brittany said, as she went over to her laptop and opened it up. In a flash it was booted up, and she was about to click on the browser when she saw the notifications for new mail. "Hang on just a sec," she said, as she went over to it and opened it up. There was the DNA test from earlier but also two new emails. One from Skye and one from Dr. Honey Badger. Brittany opened the first one up, and her eyes widened when she saw the pictures.

"Woah!" Kinsey gasped. "What's that?"

"Treasure," Brittany said. "Silver that was on a boat. But the boat caught fire, and it all melted together, and then it got lost and buried. Until now."

"It looks like it comes from outer space."

There was a chuckle. "It does a bit." Brittany was about to go back to the Internet browser, when there was a knock on her door.

"I believe we have a new arrival to look at," Karen spoke out. "May I come in?"

"Sure," Brittany replied, walking over to open the door. The arctic hare walked in, her eyes level with Kinsey's, and she gave a little smile.

"I'm Karen Skippel. We've got a few little practice tests and stuff lined up for you down in the lab. Are you all ready?"

Kinsey puffed herself all up, looking pompous and proud, before throwing an arm out behind her and narrowing her eyes.

…

Brittany looked over to where she was pointing and saw her coat, slowly but surely getting dragged over her bed. The first corner slowly slipped off the end, and then a sleeve went and, eventually, the whole thing just fell off. There was a slight growl, and Brittany saw Kinsey focussing with two arms, a predatory looking scowl on her face. There were even a few pants from the concentration, the little vixen's mouth opening and her tongue peeking in and out, yet it did nothing to speed up the pull. A few seconds more, though, and the coat finally reached her feet. Giving up, she bent down and put it on roughly, before turning to Karen. "Born ready!"

"Well, off we go," she said, turning around.

Kinsey followed her, only to pause as she looked at Brittany. "Are you coming?"

"We'll be taking about half an hour to get everything sorted," Karen said. "So she won't be missing much to start with.

Brittany looked on and paused. She could go down with her or learn about Larry. "If you don't mind," she said, "What Karen said sounds nice. I have some important things I need to quickly look through. Though if you want me to come, I will."

Kinsey paused, thinking, before speaking. "Promise you'll come down soon."

"I promise."

She smiled and gave her older sister a wave.

"See you soon!"

"You too. Enjoy yourself."

And, with that, off her sister went. Closing the door, Brittany chuckled a little, before returning to her computer. She might as well use this time to learn about where Larry came from. She took a steadying breath, before opening up the email from the testing service and reading through.

.

 _Species: Common/ Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis)._

 _Past hybridisation: No traces of past hybridisation for up to twenty generations (species considered unable to produce hybrids)._

 _._

Brittany nodded. It was what they'd thought before. Still, it left the question of the flying squirrel hanging.

.

 _General history:_

 _Majority of DNA present links back to the southern populations of the species, rather than those that existed further north. More genes for shorter body fur are present, while those that tend to induce tiredness and hibernation-related feelings during shorter and colder months are less pronounced. While it is less clear, it is likely that the ancestors of this mammal migrated to Zootopia and its environs roughly 50-100 years ago, in the third 'Post Empowerment' wave. There are genes though that suggest some ancestors were 'pioneers' to the area. Migrating and settling before the founding of the city proper._

 _._

It was only a summary page, and there was a whole lot more that went into the detail of it all. Maps and charts, along with diagrams of Larry's chromosome makeup. Brittany scrolled quickly through it all, given that it wasn't really going to answer her questions.

.

 _Notable ancestors:_

 _The only notable ancestor who we have detected a (potential) link to is that of Lt. Arrilouse Morrivaun, Officer in the Furrench army's first large rodent battalion (created after the development of correctly sized recoilless rifles for use by such mammals in combat). Saw limited action in the First World War, notable for receiving the_ _Légion d'honneur_ _for leading multiple sapping attacks on machine gun nests. Later served in the Furrench resistance and was granted the title of 'Righteous among Nations' for his heroic deeds._

 _Due to a lack of ancestors inputted, tracing the true relationship is unavailable. This could be a direct ancestor, or a shared common ancestor._

 _Our ancestor tracker relies on multiple mammals inputting the connections, using historic records and our findings. The more mammals who input data, the easier it becomes for all._

 _To access your family tree. [CLICK HERE]_

 _For access to the Zootopia census and data records. [CLICK HERE]_

 _If you are a subscribed customer, we provide free access to the UMS records. [CLICK HERE]_

 _._

"So," Brittany replied, taking it in. "You do have some soldier in you after all Larry." She smiled, given that it would likely be a nice surprise for him. When she got the time, she'd make sure to work out just how related he was to Lt. Morrivaun and what that squirrel had gotten up to. However, for now, there were bigger fish to fry. She pressed the button to access the family tree, pausing as a 'create your account' page came up. There was some fiddling for a little bit, including the sending and receiving of a verification email, but soon she was in.

The web portal popped up with a few instructions that she scanned through before closing. Then, she watched as the whole thing populated. There were horizontal lines that went upwards, designed to denote the different generations. Up near the top, she saw Arrilouse, a picture of a squirrel in combat gear peaking out. He looked distinguished, and around him was a box that gave him a name and a brief summary. It was orange, which meant that a lot of the details were left unknown. The idea was that you'd adjust boxes, adding and taking away, and then confirm and fix them in place when you were certain. For instance, he was placed in the 4th Generation back, based on an estimate. He might have been further back or closer, depending on his relationship to Larry. In addition, around him were a variety of grey boxes, added in and confirmed by other users. Clicking on one of the ones for his children, her eyes widened.

' _Agnes Curlyque (MN: Morrivaun) (B:1919, D:1994)'_

Agnes and Rubin Curlyque had five kits, three boys and two girls. All of them had at least one child inputted, and one of the girls ( _Susan Bushtail (MN: Curlyque) (B: 1950. D:-))_ had a tree that grew out below her. Her children, and their children, and recently the newest generation.

She guessed that that family had chosen to fill it all in and, as she looked at the faces, from the older matriarch that was Susan Bushtail to one of the baby kits at the base, she couldn't help but feel a warm sense of happiness.

She paused though, as she noticed something.

This whole thing had been set up on the mother's side. Was the Curlyque name just a coincidence?

Going up, she saw that the percentage of common DNA increased, from Arrilouse (who it said had a DNA sample donated) to Susan, who Brittany guessed had entered this thing herself.

Shaking her head, Brittany chose to refocus the whole thing. It had zoomed onto Arrilouse at the start, she guessed because he was assumed to be the star of the show, and paid little mind to the closer relatives. The real focal point was Larry though, so she moved down to find him.

And there, she froze.

On his mother's side were two squirrels that shared a quarter of his DNA. An aunt and an uncle. Lillian Rowanwood (MN: Curlyque) and Michael Curlyque. On both of them, it stated that they gave their samples as part of a public outreach event. They were likely the grandchild of one of Susan's brothers.

On the father's side was a grandmother who'd done the same thing. Alicia Bushel (MN: Grover). The name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn't say why. Regardless, Alicia had also entered the names of her direct family, who existed as a disconnected little tree, no other connections given. Below her were two children, one being an uncle, Nathaniel, and the other one residing in a box surrounded by a gold trim.

Lucas Bushel.

Who it said gave Larry half his DNA.

His father.

Looking at him, Brittany's paw trembled, and she glanced up at the info tab in the corner of his box. It said that his DNA was on public record, whatever that meant. Still, if she could find him and…

She stopped what she was doing, barely managing to choke back a pained sob. Icy tips grew on her fingers, and she sniffed as a hoarfrost coated her body. Her eyes just remained fixed on a single, horrible, taunting, figure.

 _Lucas Bushel (B:1981. D:2016)_

"Oh Larry," she said, sniffing. That was two years ago. Had that been why the squirrel had been taken into care? No, she thought. Not once had he mentioned his father, had he? Still, it pained her to see that one of his parents was gone. At least he might have an uncle and likely a grandmother on his father's side.

Looking back at the mother's side, she peered in closer. Michael had provided his parents' names and grandparents' names, which grew out in a tree above him. His paternal grandfather was called Thomas. Scrolling up, she saw that one of Susan's brothers was called Thomas, born nineteen-forty-six and dead too. He had been Lillian, Michael and Larry's-mother's grandfather, and Larry's great grandfather.

She clicked the two Thomas's and linked them together, the little tree above Larry shifting up as it connected to the larger Curlyque group. Arrilouse to Agnes to Thomas to Peter and then to Michael, Lillian and Larry's mother, and below that Larry himself. She smiled as she saw that he likely still had maternal grandparents who were still alive, on top of his aunt and uncle. His great grandfather on that side might have passed away, maybe not? He had a great-great aunt Susan who was possibly still alive and a long list of family on that side.

On top of that, there were those on his maternal grandmother's side. And, of course, all those on his father's side. His uncle, his grandparents. There might be cousins too.

Sliding back in her chair, Brittany let out a sigh of relief. "We've found you, Larry," she said, sniffing a bit. It was all a bit emotional, but she'd done it.

…

"But what about your flying mother?" she asked, wondering. Maybe it was an old foster carer he'd been put with. That made sense, though she felt a bit sad that, if he were to be reunited with his mother, it wouldn't be the one he remembered.

She was about to step away, thinking of sneaking in on Kinsey's practice, when she paused. Going back up to her email, she opened the email from Dr. Badger. Wondering what she'd found out.

The first bit of text was a simple one from the vet herself.

.

 _Please do not ask me where I got this from, or who is sending this. It isn't anything bad or wrong, just something I don't want to talk about. Something that is quite emotionally taxing. There may be a lot of nonsense in what you're about to receive, or the rare tit-bit of brilliance. Suffice to say, I used to receive the latter a lot, and it broke both my heart and those of others to see the former grow and consume everything. I wouldn't normally encourage this kind of action from my source, but given that it's for a good cause, I chose to make a rare exception. I haven't viewed anything below, bar giving it a good scan for viruses and malicious software. I will not let myself be the cause of a security breach. I hope you the best of luck in finding what you're looking for._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Madge Honey-badger (MV)_

 _._

"Bet you it's that sister of yours," Brittany said, smiling slightly as she scrolled down.

.

 _MARSHMALLOW!_

 _I GOT SOMETHING BIG AND IT STINKS OF SHEEP! GET A WHOLE LOAD OF THIS! QUEEN OF THE HIVE, BIG S, YOUR LITTLE FRIEND STUMBLED ONTO SOMETHING BIG!_

 _._

Brittany couldn't help but fist pump, before looking at it curiously. Stinking of Sheep? Did she mean Bellwether? Shaking her head, she looked down, finding a list of links and opening the first one up. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the first article.

.

 _Teacher arrested for having sex with student. Claims hypnosis._

.

 _Vine Lane school, in the Rainforest District, has been cast into the media spotlight after a teacher had sexual relations with a fifteen-year-old student. Both being squirrels, it is reported that, due to the short time span of the species' pregnancy, any children that might be conceived will have to be carried to term. English teacher Lucas Bushel, aged 32, handed himself over to the ZPD, claiming that he wasn't acting of his free will during the event. In a statement, Chief Wingruff of the ZPD has stated that he'll be liaising with the ZED in order to assess whether or not an empowered with hypnotic powers was involved. The student, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was unable to comment.…._

 _._

Tabbing out, Brittany clicked on the next link, finding another news article. At the top, there was a picture of a teenage squirrel, paws up in the air, on some steps.

.

' _Forced sex' hypnotist student found not guilty._

 _._

 _Sandra Steepler (Northern flying squirrel), was found not guilty over using her suggestive empowerment to force a fellow student and teacher to sleep together. Her accuser, who can't be named for legal reasons, was in Steepler's class and claims that the student used her powers to 'help her out' after she expressed an attraction towards her English teacher. The teacher in question, Lucas Bushel, was found not guilty of statutory rape after both her and the student claimed that they were robbed of their free will using hypnotic powers. In her testimony, the latter stated. "It was like she told you to do something, and you went and did it, too happy to question why. It was only after that you realised with horror what had happened."_

 _While the doubt this created saved Mr Bushel from a conviction, the doubt that Sandra didn't do this, and was being used as a scapegoat for a teacher-student affair, resulted in a not guilty verdict being returned. In a statement, Steepler claims "I did nothing wrong. I didn't use my powers, which require a special phrase being added to the start of a request, to encourage these two to screw like rabbits. They just saw me and thought, like, they could point the finger at me."_

 _._

A third link was opened, and Brittany's eyes went wide. It showed a grainy camera recording of the same squirrel from the picture above, albeit with a pushchair in front of her. There was a squirrel kit inside in and, though he was much younger, she recognised his instantly. "Larry," she whispered, before she suddenly remembered something. He'd talked about how his mother had asked him to do things, and how he'd be happy to do that. "She used her powers to raise you," she said, scrolling up again. Did Sandra use her powers to make his real mother give him up to her? Was it some taunt or middle finger? Was it her rejecting the child and demanding Sandra take him, after being the cause of her pregnancy in the first place?

Another link opened, and the vixen grit her teeth.

.

 _Anti-empowered councillor fails in attempt to reinstate 'hypnotised' teachers ban._

.

 _The Zootopia high court rejected a claim of unfair treatment today, which had been brought by notably outspoken 'Non-empowered rights campaigner' and city council mammal Dawn Bellwether. The Ewe, who has made a name for herself in legal cases against empowered who have misused their abilities, was representing former teacher Lucas Bushel, who was permanently banned after getting a student pregnant. In the pro-bono case, Bellwether claimed that Bushel, who was found not-guilty due to presence of a hypnotist in his class (both he and the pregnant girl stating that she forced them to have sex), should have his ban overturned due to him being a victim. In her closing statement, she argued: "My client was robbed of his free will by an empowered mammal who was simply 'bored' and wanted to cause some drama. In doing so, both he and the other victim were raped, yet his torture has carried on since then. First treated as a sex offender, provisionally placed on the register. Then put through an emotional public trial. Then, after his name was cleared, he is still barred from teaching. He is unemployed, unable to make a living or answer his call in life. Injustice after injustice has been done to him, and it's time for it to stop."_

 _The panel of judges disagreed. They argue that the Zootopia Teachers Association is not bound by the 'beyond reasonable doubt' statute, and hence they are within their rights to continue to bar Mr Bushel. They say that the stance is understandable, given the potential that the hypnotist was merely a scapegoat for a real-life student/ teacher affair, and that a not-guilty ruling was not an innocent one. Were the hypnotist to have been convicted of misuse of powers, instead of being found not guilty, then such a teaching ban would be unreasonable._

 _In a statement, Mr Bushel said the following. "It's what I've come to expect. I was put through hell, and after my name was cleared, I thought it'd get better. It hasn't. I don't know what I did wrong, or why that student decided to ruin my life, but that's what she's done. Every day is hopeless. Every day it seems like the world is saying, 'we don't trust you'. They said it just now when they stopped me from teaching again, stopped me from getting a job. They said it when my wife left me, taking my kids and getting a court order to bar me seeing them. I miss them every day, just like I miss teaching. And yet I still have to pay a ton of kit support. Were it not for charity, I'd be starving and unable to pay, and then get hauled to jail for that! I'd tell them that they're the ones who decided to make me pay this, then take away my means to do so. It wouldn't do much good though. Nothing does. Nothing. I used to think, why me? Then, why is life so unfair? Now, I just ask myself, why the hell should I go on? My only hope is that someone will see some sense. That, or they learn what this hell is like for themselves."_

 _His lawyer, Dawn Bellwether, states that she intends to charge the apparent hypnotist in a civil suit for damages._

.

Brittany felt her fingers shake with worry as she clicked on the next link and couldn't help but choke back a sob. It was Bushel's death certificate. Signed just a week later, suicide was written in as the cause. "I'm sorry," she croaked, a tear going down her frosty face. It was all so horrible, what had happened to everyone. No-one deserves any of it, especially poor Larry, the happy little kit in the whole sea of misery and completely oblivious to it. Until she told him, of course. Because she had to do that, even if it would break his tiny little heart.

Looking further down, she saw a little bit of text had been added into the email. 'Her name is Emily'.

"Emily Curlyque?" she asked, before pausing. Nodding. That made sense. That was the name of Larry's mother.

She pressed on the final link and couldn't help but let her head tilt in confusion as a niche agricultural paper from the states came up.

.

 _Bankrupt acorn orchard gets new lease of life._

.

 _Two local acorn orchards are to be merged and giving them a new lease of life, according to a range of new investors. The Redtail orchard and Cheek's orchard used to be one of the premier producers of food acorns, but ageing trees and pest problems resulted in their produce degrading in quality over the years. For the last fifteen years, the only buyers have been flour mills, producing acorn flour, a common staple in squirrel cuisines. The reduced revenue hit the farms hard, however, and the owners of both had entered bankruptcy protection. Today, though, a new dawn arises. Backed by international and local investors and co-ordinated by Zootopian politician Dawn Bellwether, the new enterprise will see another Zootopian, grey squirrel Nathaniel Bushel, take over both farms. He has promised a new business plan, intends to provide major investment, and to bring in a poultry or ratite farmer to share the land with, though this is 'a number of years off'. "We intend to give this proud land a new lease of life. New trees, new equipment and new economics. In the longer term, we'll also see livestock living between the trees, getting more bang for our buck. I don't know why more orchards let some geese wander about between the trunks, just mowing the grass."_

 _The move has been welcomed by local agricultural workers, who feared job losses should the farm go under._

 _._

Up in the top was a picture, showing Dawn with her fellow investors and that fellow squirrel. Brittany peered into it. Something didn't seem right. Something…

She froze, both literally and figuratively.

At the back of the picture were two megafauna investors, who towered over the rest. One was a rhino. The other a wildebeest. A familiar wildebeest. A grim looking wildebeest, with eyes and a face the she couldn't forget. That she'd never forget. How could she? She's seen them through the visor of that suit, when he'd tried to burn her alive in that restaurant. Looking at his sleeve, she gulped as she saw a tag sewed in. The same she'd seen on that night.

"What's going on…" she whispered hoarsely as her head dropped into her paws, which she then ran back through her long hair. Shocked out or spaced out, she didn't know. She didn't understand what was going on, it made no sense.

"Okay," she told herself. "Focus." Standing up, closing her eyes, she recounted everything she knew. "Larry's father was a teacher, who had sex with a student after being hypnotised. Despite being found not guilty, his career was destroyed, and he took his life. Dawn Bellwether represented him and, afterwards, helped his brother buy an acorn orchard. One of her partners in this then tried to kill me and others, including Larry, who somehow ended up in the paws of the hypnotist before she died or abandoned him or whatever!"

She breathed out, everything still not making sense. Yes, the mayor didn't like the empowered for some reason. Cases like Lucas' probably explained why. She then associated with a murderous empowered hater, as well as Lucas' brother, who they helped set up a farm. But why a farm? Some sort of penance? His dream… And why was there a ringing at the back of her mind? Something that seemed so familiar, yet taunted her. That…

That…

"Oh no," she whispered, ice covering her again. She ran back to her computer and opened it up, desperately begging for it not to be true. Not to be the case. "No-no-no-no-no…."

Opening up an earlier email from Skye, Brittany shrieked in horror as she saw the little sign off at the bottom.

' _Best wishes from Bushel farms'_.

.

Like lighting, her arm went out and grabbed her phone, as she desperately opened it open and called Skye.

…

The ice all over her vanished in a wave of heat, as she heard it fail to connect. She tried Judy next, but no response. "They told me the signal…" she said, before shaking her head. Was this all part of whatever plan was going on? The same as burying that fake treasure or something? She didn't know, but she had to warn them. Up she went, tearing her laptop from her charger and racing down the stairs and corridors. Up to Fangmeyer's office, which she almost jumped at, pounding the door hard. "WE NEED TO TALK! WE NEED TO…"

The door opened with a jolt, and an unimpressed Fangmeyer looked down at her, glowering. "This better be a matter of life or death," she said, as Brittany raced in. The vixen looked at her gravely. "It is," she said, before opening up the emails and explaining it all.

.

.

.

"-and I tried to call them. Both Judy and Skye! But the phones wouldn't connect. They wouldn't! The signal is bad there. Maybe she planned it. Maybe it all was…" Brittany cut herself off and doubled over, breathing hard and panting. Looking up, she saw the office water cooler and walked over to it, grabbing a drink which she emptied into her. Still panting, she looked back, spotting Fangmeyer examining the laptop. The vixen gulped as she spotted the unconvinced look on her face.

"This is an awful lot of work to get some empowered together in one place," she noted, Brittany cringing slightly. "-All horribly contrived."

"-Listen, Commander, I…" Brittany began, only to be cut back so suddenly she jolted.

"Well done."

"…Huh?"

"I'm saying well done," Fangmeyer replied, looking down at the laptop. "I don't know what's going on, and I can't help but think we're missing something, but these are too many coincidences. Any theories?"

"I…" Brittany began, before shaking her head. "Just that Bellwether's friend, or maybe the Ewe of Doom herself, want to kill empowered?"

Fangmeyer nodded. "They have two of the world's most powerful empowered, and two of its richest, in one place. That treasure was honey, and like flies we've all fallen into the trap. We have to warn them."

Brittany nodded. "Yes. But the phone's…"

"You'll have to fly," Fangmeyer sternly interrupted.

"Huh?"

"Wolfard's 'flight' is exhausting, he'd never get that far. I know the correct protocols to run this place, getting in contact with those we'd need in case something goes wrong. I'll also continue to try and phone them. A chopper could be heard, making them act. You can use a GPS to navigate there, and then sneak in to warn them, getting them out. You're our only option."

Brittany gulped. "It's a hundred miles. More than that, I… That's far more than I've ever…"

She trailed off as she saw the faintest of grins on Fangmeyer's muzzle. "Fortunately, Karen recently finished a modification to your old wand. I don't deny it'll be tough, but do you have any better suggestions?"

…

"No," Brittany said, before looking up again. She breathed in and out, trying to keep a stiff upper lip. She was scared. For her friends. For herself. For everyone. Less than an hour ago, she'd been enjoying a sleepover with her sister, and now she'd uncovered a conspiracy and had to save her friends. She didn't want to have to do this, but she knew she had to. "I'm ready…" she said, her voice faltering slightly.

"Go down to the labs. Karen will have it ready for you. You can say goodbye to her sister before you leave. Ben will look after her for tonight."

Giving a nod, and a quick and unnecessary salute, Brittany turned and ran fast. Down the corridors, down one of the staircases and into the test labs. There was a jumbling sound and, as she arrived, she saw Karen bring out her old Mark 3 Wand. It seemed completely different, fixed at maximum length and with multiple fixtures on the side. The burning flame was hidden in a long tube, which ended with a rocket nozzle. "You'll want these," Karen said, grabbing a pair of aviator goggles. "I estimated that you'd be able to keep up speeds of sixty miles per hour for four hours, though speed and range can vary. You'll be shifting your weight the adjust your pitch, having to lean further back at lower speeds." She paused, taking Brittany in. "I advise you also change into your ZED gear, and don't forget your Mark IV."

Brittany slapped her paw into her forehead, before reaching out and grabbing her flying wand. "Yes. Stupid. Thanks. Brilliant!"

She turned to leave, only to freeze as a worried voice spoke up. "Brittany? What's happening?" Looking back, the tips of her fingers went all frosty as she saw a confused Kinsey just standing there, her lips wobbling with worry. "We were having fun, and then she got a call and was ignoring me, and now you're here but going…"

"There's a big fire…" Brittany began, before pausing. She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth at what she was about to do just then.

"Brittany?"

"There isn't a big fire. But I think some friends of mine are in a lot of danger," she said, leaning down and resting her paws on Kinsey's shoulders. "I'm the only one who can fly out and warn them. So I have to do that, okay?"

The little vixen backed off slightly, shaking her head. "But… but… -I don't want to lose you, I…"

She was cut off as Brittany pulled her into a tight hug, embracing her. Backing off a little, she looked into her sister's eyes and gave a few comforting tongue grooms to the bridge of her muzzle. "I'll be back, I promise. Now, you promise to be a good girl and behave for Ben while I do this important job, okay?"

"…Okay…"

"You promise?"

"I… I promise."

Brittany pulled her back into one last hug, giving a peck on her cheek as she did so, before letting go and standing up. "See you soon," she cried, as she raced off back to her room. It took her a few minutes to get there, and a few more to tear off her casual clothes and slip on her assistor's uniform. That was what she was going to do. Assist. Warn them. Get them out, and everyone would be safe and alive and happy.

Clipping her Mark IV wand onto her belt and putting on the goggles, Brittany ran out with her new wand, into the courtyard where she extended it out. It was more like a boogieboard with bat-like wings. Extended out, they curved up and around for stability, with paw grips on them. There were knee rests and foot rests as well, and a GPS mounted at the front, already telling her the way to go.

Taking a deep breath in and a deep breath out, Brittany placed it on the ground and leant forwards, both paws gripping the handles and one foot on its own. She focussed her anger down, grabbing the little flame and magnifying it a thousand times. It roared and, holding on, she and the wand flew up into the air. Leaning forwards, balancing her weight, she felt herself fly faster than she'd ever done before, cutting through the air effortlessly. There was nothing like the physical strain, or the effort to keep balance, that her usual wand flying required. She just slid herself into the right position so that the flight remained level and the horizon a level bar up ahead, and she flew through the twilight.

She hoped she'd get to her friends before it was too late.

She hoped no-one would get hurt.

She hoped that Fangmeyer was right, and that there wasn't something big that they were missing.

This whole plot had blindsided her.

She didn't think she could cope with another one.


	31. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30.**

.

It was late at night when Judy woke up again. Tired and aching, she looked around before her ears rose, honing in on the light rapping from her door. It sounded urgent so, stepping out of her bed, she wandered over to the door, softly opening it. "Hello?" she asked, pausing before looking down. There stood the owner of the farm, the grey squirrel looking a bit nervous for himself.

"I need you!" he urged, fumbling around slightly.

Judy paused for a second, still confused, before replying. "What's wrong?"

He sighed, shaking his head, before looking up with a new urgency. "I think I heard an intruder in one of the barns. I… I need you to come help me."

…

The bunny nodded, before hopping over and grabbing her coat and a tracksuit, putting them on quickly. "Sure," she said, dressing herself up. "Have you called the police?"

"Yes," he said, shaking his head. "Though they're so far away, and it's so late, they'll take a while to get here. I was worried about…"

"Don't worry," Judy said firmly, walking over to him and giving a smile. She knelt down, putting a reassuring paw around his back, a new look of compassion on her face. She gave a warm smile and spoke out, chuckling as he did so. "Back at my family's farm, we had the same problem," she said, stepping out into the corridor and then jumping out of the van. "Have to sort things out yourself. Though I'm happy to help."

Nate Bushel jumped out next to her, nodding. "Yeah… I was kind of worried at first, you seemed a bit hesitant and…"

"Sorry about that," the bunny replied. She paused for a few seconds, before sighing. "Something felt a bit wrong, and I…" She shook her head. "It was probably just me being a dumb bunny, I went through a little thing earlier in the night and…" Stopping, she looked at the squirrel and cleared her throat. "Where are we off to?"

"The barn," he said, pointing over to a building a small distance away.

"I can sneak up and listen out for them," she offered, pointing to her ears.

The squirrel shook his head. "Honestly, I'd prefer it if they just left. Maybe fly around a bit to spook them."

"You sure?"

He nodded, before bringing out a small tranquiliser gun from his pocket. "Maybe we could knock them out," he said, letting out a nervous laugh. "Tie them up with some string and a bow, give them straight to the police."

A coy smirk grew on the bunny's face, and she looked over at him and winked, two fingers up to her eyebrow before rising out in a quick salute. "Sounds like a plan," she said, bending her legs and launching herself up.

Nate watched as she jumped up, in an average bunny hop, and smiled as he saw the shocked look on her face. She kicked again, shouting out. "KU-Chaaaaa!?"

Nothing happened.

Her feet and arms scrambled, trying to kick out again and push her forwards, barely managing to be there for her to land on. She hit the ground on all fours, her mouth open and trembling as she looked around in panic, almost hyperventilating. "Wha…wha…whaa..?" She gasped, standing up again and trembling. Something was wrong. Horribly wrong. The tension and power in her legs was gone, as if a limb of hers had been cut off. It just felt wrong and she couldn't process it, how could she? It was like a part of her had been torn away, a complete absence left behind, nothing where something should be, and she didn't know what was going on. Was it a bad dream or…

Her thought process was cut off as she felt something sharp hit the side of her head. Like a performer whipping away a tablecloth, she felt the panic and adrenaline get swept from out and under her, replace with a cloying calm. Even that was leaving, replacing with a throbbing drowsiness, closing in on her eyes. Stumbling about, she remembered that in all her bad dreams, she had never considered the possibility that it wasn't reality she was experiencing, before the impact of the dirt floor hit the side of her face like a mocking reminder.

"You were right," Nate said, walking around in front of her. "Something was wrong."

She looked up but didn't feel anything. There was no capacity left in her mind for that kind of thing. Instead her eyelids drooped, closing and opening a few times before closing for good, the bunny drifting off into a black tranquilised slumber.

The squirrel prodded her a few times, before pulling out the dart he'd fired into her. Good practice and all. Drawing out a radio, he spoke into it. "We're good to go on phase two," he spoke. "I need assistance at both sites."

Putting the radio away, he walked back into the service coach, down to the room with the other enforcer. Holstering his tranquiliser gun, he hammered on the door, his panicked act growing. Growing even more. He hit harder and harder, worried that he might wake one of the cooks or butlers sleeping nearby. In the end he stopped, before choosing a new tactic. There was a small plastic grill nearby, which he quickly grabbed, tearing out the bits of plastic and making a small hole that he crawled through. Entering, he jumped up, gaining a vantage on the bed of the other enforcer.

She wasn't there.

His radio squawked. "We're outside and got the bunny."

"The vixen is missing," he said, a nervous streak in his voice. "Wait where you are, we'll check the other camp together."

He put the radio down, making his way out only to pause. A mobile phone, left on the dresser in the room, was ringing. He ignored it, exiting out and spotting a group of mammals hovering over the bunny. Their leader, a rhino with scars over his hands and face, looked at her and up. "How did she react?"

"Panic," Nate noted. "Terror."

The rhino nodded, before picking Judy up and handing her to one of his underlings. "Sorry girl," he said, before looking over to a few of the other mammals. "You two go down near the river, get the three there. I'll handle the staff here before grabbing their boss."

With a set of rapid nods, all the mammals in question ran off to where they needed to go. All were dressed in combat gear, all with tranquilisers, and most had the same insignia stitched to their arm. A shield, made in the shaped of a rhino's horn.

The rhino in question made his way into the coach again, the squirrel following. "It's finally happening," the smaller mammal remarked, as the larger one smashed through a door. There was a yell from inside before a tranquiliser dart silenced it. The process was repeated twice more as Lanhoff's staff were detained.

"Now the mammal himself," Nate commented, as they walked out into the open. He was cut off by the sound of a massive diesel engine roaring to life, blinded by the lights coming on, and they watched helplessly as the coach, Edmund at the wheel, drove off. The rhino screamed into his radio, ordering some of his crew to get in a car and try and stop it, but even as he did so his target was getting away. There was a crunching of the gears, and snaps and bangs and screeches as it smashed the metal gate down and hit trees and hedges on its way out, before it carried off down the road. The metallic shriek of the gate went quiet, and the crunches and snaps as it decimated the hedge faded off into the distance. A jeep followed quickly in pursuit, leaving the remaining mammals looking around nervously.

"What if we don't get him?" Nate asked, a strong hint of worry in his voice.

"We'll put the staff in the coach behind us and I'll dump it somewhere across in Zootopia regardless," the rhino said. "I know from experience that the bureaucracy will stop the cops here from doing anything over there. We'll keep the empowered here, in secret, as planned. You tell the police that they tried to abduct Piper and Lanhoff, making off with the staff as a distraction. That'll be our story regardless of whether we catch him or not."

The nervous squirrel nodded, before his ears flicked up as his radio sprung to life. He held it up to him and grimaced. "They've got the foxes, who were sleeping together, but not Piper. They went for him first, but he gave them the slip into the forest."

The rhino winced, cursing under his breath. "That means we might not be able to use either as a 'hostage'. The empowered letting one go is understandable, but with their super speed a failure for both makes no sense." He paused, thinking, before shaking his head. "In that case, it was the bunny trying to silence the two foxes."

"What…? How would that even work?"

"The ZED hates the tod, and one of their own was caught sleeping with him," he said. "Let's say that the plan was for the bunny to frame the pair for a kitnapping but it failed, the two targets getting away. The foxes fled, scared, and the bunny ordered the team to dump the coach and disperse. She then went into hiding."

"What should I say if questioned?"

"You were woken by noises, saw a terrified and furious bunny ordering her mercs to drive off this coach, before she fled off into the distance. You heard her say 'we can still pin it on those pelts'. You went down to the other camp and saw the signs of an attack and no-one there." The rhino paused. "Of course, if we catch Lanhoff, you keep him here and simply say that the ZED abducted him if the police come. Hopefully they won't."

Nate shook his head. "All these cover stories, they won't hold for long."

"They won't have to," the rhino said, looking over to a group just turning up, Nick and Skye, both darted, being carried over their shoulders. "We'll be running on a worst case though," he said, "so I'll have to be off sooner than I'd like. But don't let this upset worry you."

There was a scoffing laugh. "Easy for you to say."

The rhino nodded gravely, before carrying on giving orders. Nate, meanwhile, headed over to the barn, alongside the mammals carrying the two foxes. His heart beat fast in his chest, and his fingers trembled, but he looked forwards firm and determined. There was no going back now.

.

.

Not far away, Brittany sailed through the sky. She'd been going for around two hours, and her legs were tired and aching. Her brow focussed, she kept focussing on keeping her powers ever burning and her body in the right position. She'd never flown for further and longer and, were it not for her flying wand, she'd have never gotten close.

A check on her GPS, she realised she was almost there. Leaning forwards and letting go of her powers, she turned to the side a bit, planning to slowly circle down and land in a field. The wind picked up in her face and she then leant back, taking a steep angle of attack to slow herself down. But she began dropping faster though, so she pushed some more heat out of her wand to try and steady her descent.

She felt it slow down…

But not by much.

Grunting, she pushed harder and harder, feeling the heat begin to build up. But something was wrong, very wrong. It wasn't pushing or heating nearly as much as it should, and she began to panic. She leant forwards again, still pushing out some more, but the thrust she'd previously got in flight wasn't coming. Even her rising panic didn't help and, as she looked down, she realised she was going to hit the ground hard. Her eyes were wide, and they darted around, desperately trying to find a solution.

Through her night vision, she saw it. A nearby river, wide and lazy, and she turned and banked towards it. More gliding than anything, she pushed as much as she could with her powers, feeling one last push of blessed thrust.

It barely carried her over the trees on the bank. She managed to fit through a gap, though both her wings and feet were whipped at by higher branches. Getting some leaves in her face and feeling her balance thrown off, she tried and failed to pull up. The last thing she saw was the water coming up fast, before she smashed into it.

It felt like the time she'd jumped off of the highest diving board on the cruise, but instead of the pressure being on her feet it was all over her body, feeling more like a slam. Her eyes closed, the air blasted out of her, she lost her grip on her flying wand and sank down, back first, into the freezing cold.

That in itself was a shock.

Her mind recovering, she shivered before panicking, suddenly kicking up and out. Desperately trying to get a grip on anything, her lungs burned as the air inside began to run out. The goggles she wore weren't watertight, being for wind protection only, and she was blind to everything. Her one attempt at opening them revealed nothing, all while the burning inside her lungs grew and grew.

Suddenly she burst into the air, kicking and splashing as she took in a deep breath of glorious air. Another followed, and then another, as she tried to recover her breath. Her eyes blinked, the water draining from in front of them, and she regained her vision. In her panicked state, she was just about keeping her head out of the water, though it was still a struggle and she was getting tired already.

Closing her eyes and trying to focus, she controlled her paw movements. Making sure to open them out on the down movement and streamline them on the up, her kicking reduced but got more powerful. Glancing around, she saw that she was about to be carried around a curve in the river, and up in front of her was a steep bank on the right-hand side. Even where she was, she was a good deal closer to the right and, leaning forwards, she began doggy paddling towards it. Despite kicking hard and doing her best she was still a very weak swimmer and it showed, as the shore only got closer at a tauntingly slow pace. Feeling a cramp in her legs and arms, and a stinging stitch burning across her chest, she began to worry that she wouldn't make it. She was starting to go around the curve though, and the river did most of the work from there. With one last push, Brittany splashed and swam and finally made it to the shore. Her feet hit the mud and her claws gripped it, and in one mad dash she clambered up the steep bank and hauled herself up and over the bluff.

Her deep breathes rang harshly across the quiet as she tried to recover. Feeling better, she unzipped her ZED uniform and took it off. Quickly removing her vest and underwear, ringing them out, she gave herself a vigorous shake down, removing most of the damp. On with her clothes again, she channelled her warmth into her and her clothes. It didn't seem to do much at first but, doubling down, she watched as steam began to rise and felt as she warmed up.

A minute or so later, she was still moist and a bit chilly, but she could live with it.

Ready to take stock of everything.

Phone: Dead. The water had ruined it.

Flying wand: Gone. She'd been thrown from it when it hit the water and it was lost. Maybe it sunk, maybe it was on the bank somewhere.

Mark four: Still on her. A quick check showed that it was working. Good.

Looking around, Brittany rubbed her temples. She didn't know where to go, while someone might have seen her crash and be on their way now. Her paw trembling, she held her wand, just in case. Closing her eyes, she turned on her heat vision. Her shock must have been affecting it, given that she had to push a good deal harder to use it. She sailed up, seeing herself below, and doing a quick scan around. No-one was nearby. Things weren't that clear either. She gave a quick look down the river, wondering if she could see the flame in her flying wand but finding nothing. It was probably drowned out, or sunk, or run out of fuel. After all, she mused, why else did she crash? Maybe she burned a lot more fuel than expected, or Karen got the fuel measurements wrong… Opening her eyes, Brittany turned around and thought. It wasn't like the arctic hare to do that. Maybe someone else made the mistake? Like that plane that ran out of fuel, or that episode of that old kid's show where two sides had to build half a bridge each, but one used feet and the others meters…

Shaking her head, Brittany stroke her fingers across her muzzle and closed her eyes again, this time seeking out cold. Again, she had to focus a lot more, even if she was feeling better. Lifting up, she saw the path of the river carved out in front of her. Turning herself around, remembering what the sat-nav had shown before, she looked over to where the farm was and cursed.

She was on the wrong side of the river and there were no bridges.

Heat vision again, and she pushed over into the farm. Not only were things harder, but they were fuzzy for some reason. Some sort of distortion. She managed to make out the warm points of four mammals, though she couldn't make their species out. She gulped though as she saw three of them together, one in what looked like a pose of despair and the other banging on a door.

Her heat vision broke down as a shiver of cold despair grew over her, hardening the dampness in her clothes and making them crack and crinkle as she moved. She was too late.

Another focus through her heat vision, and she looked around, trying to see something or anything that might help. Then, she saw it. Really not that far away, albeit on the other bank, was a small figure. Maybe a weasel? Wasn't one of the mammals that was being guarded one of those… Looking a bit further away, she saw something else. Something so large she was amazed she missed it before. A large coach and a jeep seemed to have had a meeting in a country lane, or rather the drainage ditch by its side. The former, its engine still warm and a large occupant still inside, was wedged and at an angle. The jeep was in an even sorrier state, almost overturned, the coach on top of it. She glanced at the occupants before grimacing away, her eyes opening in shock.

The way the car had been crushed and the angle of their necks told her they were dead.

She didn't know what was going on, and she knew that these two mammals might not be friends, but there was nothing better to go on. Unhooking her new wand, she held it and pointed it down, launching herself up and over to the other side. She almost went in the water at first, her wand producing not nearly the same power as it usually did, though in her panic she was able to channel her powers heavily and just about make it. By the end of the flight her knees did get wet, as she landed on the gentle beach of the inside loop of the river. Wading out, she reoriented herself and made her way to meet the smaller figure.

There was a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach though, taunting and worrying her. Teasing and nagging her. Something was wrong, very wrong, and she didn't know what. All her powers seemed to be acting up but…

Holding up her wand, she shook it. Had water gotten in? Was that it?

Never mind. She carried on forwards, using her heat vision to look for this figure.

Something definitely was wrong. Her heat vision was getting harder to call up, and poorer in focus.

She was close to this small mammal though. Close enough to try and call him.

"Hello!"

….

"I'm with the ZED!"

…

"Listen, something's not right. I think my friends are captured! There's something really bad going on!"

…

She shook her head, putting one foot forwards to carry on walking when she halted. A voice was calling back. "Put yer paws up, you hear?" Brittany froze still. Not even bothering to check if she'd let her powers slip, she closed her eyes and seeked out the heat, spotting the small figure hiding behind a tree, ready to run. "I said…"

"I know," she replied, raising her paws in surrender. "I'm not here to harm you."

"We'll see 'bout that," he muttered, Brittany noting that his accent reminded him of the fire chief on her forest mission. Looking over to where he was, she spotted him peak around the corner with her night vision. He was a ferret or polecat of some kind, tense and ready to flee, though he relaxed as soon as he saw her. "Yer a lil' Kit."

"I'm eighteen," she replied, a little indignantly. Slowly lowering her arms, she knelt down, meeting him as he walked out.

"You that lil' Sorceress?"

"Yes. Brittany Voxen."

A thin smile grew across his muzzle. "The name's Jeb Piper. My 'bodyguard' talked a lot about you, so I'm pretty sure you're on our side."

She nodded slowly. "They… they have my friends locked up in a barn," she said. "So I'm on your side."

"Right," he agreed, before pausing. "Do you know who the heck these mammals are? I was minding my own business gaming when I heard this commotion. Saw some mobsters come down, dart my bodyguard and… -well I tried to fight back, but… -But well my powers weren't working! So I did what I could and ran!"

Brittany gulped. "Yours too, huh?"

He looked shocked. "Yours went?"

"I wasn't sure if it was the case, but mine started playing up when I got close to here. I thought I'd knocked myself or…" She trailed off, crouching down and cradling her head in her paws. Even though they were badly dulled down, she spotted her fur go white with frost as the cold dread spread through her. Her powers had always been a constant. A third limb. And now, experiencing that constant fade was like waking up and finding she could barely hear… Deep down, it terrified her, digging a vast chasm of a pit in her stomach.

She was jolted to attention by a loud noise, similar to the one Judy's shockwave made. Looking up, she saw a small divot in the ground, Jeb looking at it. "Well I be damned, they're sort of working." He let out an odd chuckle, shaking his head. "I always figured that the gods gave us the powers one day, they could snap their fingers the next and take it all away… -I thought that was what happened here, but this…" He trailed off, whistling. "I'm guessing some mammals thought they'd take us hostage, and somehow got a power dampening field to get rid of our guards. Explains how my one went down so easily, I... " He paused, and Brittany noticed a fearful look on his face as he stared up into hers. "I guess they've gone and got Eddy…"

"Eddy?"

"My business partner. Half the reason I'm so filthy rich. Big old stag. Bit of a boring old guy, but…."

"-They don't!"

"What?"

"I don't think they have," Brittany said, closing her eyes and bringing her heat vision up again. "Using my heat vision, I saw this bug coach that had crashed, a deer at the… -Yes, he's alive!"

"Then lets get him out of there now!" Jeb urged, racing up to her. "You lead the way, but they could still be after him!"

Brittany nodded, and together they set off. Her powers were too weak to let her fly, and it would be too conspicuous regardless. In any case, they soon arrived at the crash site, both pausing as they took it in. It was a narrow country road between two tall hedges, and with a drainage ditch either side. The coach had ended up half in it, with the broken Jeep underneath, crushed. Holding back, she watched as Jeb ran up and in, speaking out.

"Oh thank god! You're a sight for sore eyes, and… -Is it safe?"

"Yes," came the reply, and Brittany watched as Jeb and a much older buck stepped out. She noticed the latter was shaking as he came over, weakly offering a hoof.

"Edmund Lanhoff, Mrs…"

"Brittany Voxen," she replied, shaking on it. He nodded, trembling slightly, before glancing over at the jeep.

"They're going to be okay, right?"

…

"Oh no…" He choked out out, and Brittany went forwards to hold his hooves as he collapsed onto his knees, shaking violently. "I… -I just…"

"You did what you had to do," she said, closing her eyes and holding back her own pain. "They came and forced your paw… -they made you do it… -they…"

"-Tried to pull a stupid manoeuvre," Jeb cried out, as he ran over and jumped into the ruined jeep. "It was their own dumb fault for ending up in there." He came out and walked back up to them, carrying something in either paw. "Eddy, let's be honest, you couldn't hurt a fly. They screwed themselves over all by themselves." He looked over at Brittany and threw her something, and then did the same to Edmund. Looking down, she realised that it was a high level tranquiliser dart. "They had a smaller one I could sort of use," he said, holding a pocket tranq that was bulky in his paws. "And those two are now under new management. Give us a fighting chance while we get to the police…"

"Oh…"

Looking up, Brittany saw Edmund look at the dart gun blankly. "I forgot about calling them… Can't use your phone while driving, I…"

"Can you use it now?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I stepped on it, by mistake, after the crash. Do you have your phone?"

"Got drowned."

"Right… Okay…" He turned to Jeb, who shook his head.

"I just ran. The good news is though, they wanted us, didn't they? We're safe."

"Skye, Judy and Nick aren't," Brittany replied tensely.

"-Oh… -I forgot about them too… -I… -I guess they couldn't use their powers, mine… -Mine weren't working until I got here, and…" Edmund trailed off, taking a few calming breaths.

Brittany meanwhile turned, closing her eyes and trying to concentrate. Trying to think. "This doesn't make sense. Why would Bellwether want to take you hostages? There's something missing."

"Who now?" Jeb asked, Edmund answering.

"She's the mayor of Zootopia. I thought you knew that."

"Well, yer thought wrong."

"I think we all are," Brittany said tensely, looking up. "Listen, I was here because she had some crazy connections between this farm, and the mammals who led the terrorist attack in Zootopia. I only just found out, and I came here to warn everyone, but I was too late. Maybe this is another attempt to get Nick and Skye, maybe she just wants to get you all as well but… -but I don't know!" She almost growled, gritting her eyes and stomping on the ground. She was scared and tired and angry and frustrated, and her powers were slipping but she didn't care. Taking a calming breath, she looked up at them. "Listen, my heat vision still sort of works. The farm… the mammals who attacked you are gone. I don't know why, but it's just the other enforcers and this squirrel. We could march right in their and get them out."

"'Cept if he's armed to the teeth," Jeb pointed out. "Though a sneak attack…"

Brittany nodded, though she couldn't help but feel scared as well. Terrified, even. "Let's… let's get them out of there…"

Edmund nodded. "My staff too… Did you see them?"

"I don't think so."

He closed his eyes and took a calming breath, though she felt he was as scared as she was. "I… -maybe we could find out where they are… -Or what his plan is…" He looked at Jeb, then at her. "Go on then… -I… -I don't think we have much choice."

Brittany didn't either and, however much she hated it, she felt that she had to save her friends. Without their powers, Nick and Skye were as vulnerable as anyone, and Judy couldn't be there to cover their backs. Taking stock of which way to go, they head off, she leading the way. Foxes could tell which way was north from the earth's magnetic field, a little sense developed to help hunting in the savage ages and using it kept them on track. Cutting through fields, laying down low at every odd sound, they slowly made their way back into the acorn orchard. They darted from tree to tree, ever on the lookout for any patrols. There were none. It was less clear where they needed to go now, especially as they approached a large barn. However, as they did a final check for lookouts, she caught a sniff of a familiar scent. "Skye," she whispered, tearing up a bit. Racing on, she reached the old wooden panels of the barn, looking for a way in. Nudging around the barn, she held back as she saw a farmhouse with the lights on, but relaxed when she noticed a nearby barn door. Waving her crew on, they entered. It was sparse inside, but going down on all fours and using her nose, Brittany soon found a trap door, weighed down by some farming equipment. Straining and groaning, Edmund pushed it off and lifted up the trap door, and down they went.

"Who's there!"

Brittany's eyes widened, and she rushed forwards. "Judy!"

"Brittany!"

"Bree! What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you," she said, already scanning the metal door for a lock or something. "Listen, Bellwether and this farm are connected to the guys who attacked us at the restaurant, that's why I came to warn you. -They already attacked, but we can all get out and go back to the ZED…"

"Our powers aren't working, but we still might have the car," Judy said.

"Good," Nick added. "As I'm tired of normal walking already!"

Brittany felt a slight wave of relief cut through the razor thin tension she was feeling, even managing to smile a little. "Whatever power dampening field they've got, the range does die down. If we could find it, we could…"

"You won't be going anywhere…"

Brittany jolted, her muscles locking, as a new voice rang out.

"Paws where I can see them."

Raising them up, she trembled as she turned around. Both she, Edmund and Jeb were standing, helpless, held hostage by a…

"Oh great," Nick commented. "The squirrel is evil."

"Nothing personal," Nate Bushel said, breathing in and out. He seemed scared too, even if he held a recoilless rifle under his arm. It was bulky, and thick, and wasn't rapid fire or anything, but it could still kill any of them easily.

"Oh god…" Edmund was whispering. "Oh god, oh god…."

"Calm down!" he half barked. "Now, there's only one cell, got put in at short notice and not much room… But it does have room for a deer. Now, Mr Lanhoff, could you put the gun down…"

"He won't, I won't either!" Jeb spat out, his small tranq gun aimed dead on the squirrel. "There's three of us armed, one of you! Now, you're going to let everyone out, go in there, and that's that!"

"My gun can kill you," he said, raising his voice. "You will do as I say!"

"I'm sorry Mr Bushel," Edmund said, raising his gun up again, even as it shook and trembled. "But this doesn't end well for you."

"Doesn't e-end well for one of you, ei-either," Nate warned, beginning to stutter. The shaking of his gun did little to allay Brittany's mood. Spotting Jeb slowly trying to edge his way to one side, flanking him, did so. She hated where she was now, hated that life and death was on the line now, but it was that of her friends, old and new. Sometimes, she thought, as she gritted her teeth and eyes, you had to run towards that cliff.

"I know why you're doing this," she said.

"No you don't, you…"

"I know about your brother…"

There was a pause, Brittany using it to raise her arms slightly and move herself forwards and past Edmund, keeping Nate's eyes off Jeb. The ferret's pace was glacial, but he was getting there. She just needed to keep him distracted, so he could fire his dart.

"So you know what an empowered mammal did to him," he said, his tone changing. Sadness, tinged with anger, filled his voice. "That little witch destroyed his life… He lost his career and his kits and everything because of her, and it drove him to end it all! And she got away with it!"

"What happened to her, in the end?" Brittany asked. "Where is Sandra Steepler now?"

He scoffed, shaking his head. "Vanished. Left Zootopia rather than face the music, I don't know. Why would you even ask?"

"You like attacking empowered mammals, sent your goons after me and a load of other students who were just having a nice meal. You tried to kill us? Is that what your brother wanted?"

She paused as he stepped back a bit, gathering himself up almost pridefully. "We had nothing to do with that. When those monsters are caught, they'll pay, but we plan no harm against empowered…"

He was cut off as Brittany barked out a scoff. "Really? One of the guys who helped you build this place led the charge! Bi…"

"-STOP!" he cried, and Brittany slammed herself against the wall, weapon out, as he wheeled to face Jeb. "Pretty clever, huh, trying to get behind me. Isn't going to work. Gun down now, get in line, before I kill you."

"Why, so you can take me hostage?" Jeb asked. "Steal my powers…"

"Fix you," the squirrel said.

"Fix!"

"Yes," he said. "Cure you of that sickness. Don't you secretly hate it? Not being normal? Being a freak."

The black footed ferret shrugged. "I think my first billion dollars disagrees quite a bit, the rest quite a bit more."

"Tch…" Nate scoffed. "Greedy one, aren't you? Where are the mammals like me, who are normal joes, but who actually like their powers if they have them. They don't exist!"

"Some are in the ZED," Brittany said, trying to get his attention. It didn't work. "Mammals like your nephew."

Nate wheeled around, turning to face her. "My who?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could the world went mad. It was all over in seconds, but played out before her as if in slow motion. Seeing a chance, Jeb raised his gun to fire, but Nate spotted it. The squirrel turned around to fire, only for a large tranquiliser dart to hit him right in the chest. Were it injected, the dose would have killed him.

It never was injected.

The large dart tore straight through his tiny body, pinning him to the floor. His own weapon dropped, he twitched around a bit and trembled, his eyes rising up to rest on those of his killer.

Edmund shook slightly, staring into the squirrels eyes as they closed for the last time, before dropping his gun and sinking to his knees.

"BREE!"

"I'm safe Skye," she urged, racing forwards to the door again. Looking up, she spotted a lock and finally undid it, watching as the door opened. She was hit my a wall of cream fur, and she held on to her sister tight as they cried into each other.

.

.

It didn't take Nick and Judy to take long to find the field generator, a massive collection of equipment and machinery they didn't really understand, but were able to quickly shut down. The fox took the bit of metal at its centre out and looked at it intently, an odd feeling running through him. Brittany, using her heat vision, quickly checked that everything was still safe before stepping out. She was tired and hungry, and on seeing a bag of snacks went to grab them. Looking closer she realised they were acorns, though she pocketed them anyway. Judy and Skye had lost their phones with the support trailer, and while Nick retrieved his and Jeb's in a flash, calling the police, they couldn't remember the secure line for the ZED.

"I might have to run," Nick said, offering to help.

Judy nodded. "Or we could try the car," she said, waving everyone around her. "The jeep's got a backup phone system we all use. It's still there, isn't it Bree?"

She nodded. "Fangmeyer sent me here, she needs to know everything."

"I'll go over and call her," Skye agreed, turning and racing off…

-Only to just jog.

She paused, closing her eyes and straining, before a panicked look came on her face. "They're not working again!"

Brittany closed her eyes. Her heat vision didn't work. She tried to conjure flames, none came…

"I don't understand!" Nick cried, holding up the piece of metal. "I shut down their generator! I have the bit here."

"Could there be another?" Skye asked.

"The stuff's super rare," Judy pointed out. "The mayor, if it is her, getting a piece makes sense. But two is pushing it… -Anyway, let's get back to the Jeep and get going. We can have the ZED deal with the cops here later, we need to get back and report in."

Jeb, who'd been leading out a catatonic Edmund, agreed. "A ton of mercs could come back in before the cops. Holding out with powers, cool. No powers, count me out."

Judy nodded, and together the six empowered made their way over to where the ZED jeep was parked. As they did so, Brittany filled them all in on everything that happened, the others sharing what they knew too.

"I still don't get it," Brittany said, as they approached the car. "Why go to all this trouble, placing fake treasure and all, to capture a few empowered. What are we missing?"

"You mean the treasure was fake?" Jeb exclaimed. He scoffed, shaking his head. "Waste of time, us being here… -Real waste of our time…"

"She's right though," Nick noted. "Something doesn't…" he trailed off, his eyes widening. "Oh crap," he said, grabbing the bit of meteor fragment out of his pocket. "Oh crap, OH CRAP!"

"Nick?" Skye asked, running over next to him.

"You know I said that she wouldn't be able to get much of this stuff?"

"Yes…"

"I think…" he began, choking up and having to restart. A shiver of dread and fear ran through him, as his realisation hit home. "I think we just supplied her with a good few tonnes of it."

…

The sense of dread and shock in all the mammals was palpable, and they looked at each other like the end of the world had been announced. "This suppression field might not be on this site," Nick said. "For all we know, it's coming from the city with that amount or rock…"

"I don't think it works…" Brittany began before breaking off. She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "-Forget about that. We have to get back to the ZED NOW!"

"For once," Nick agreed, "I agree with that sentiment." Together, they all raced off to the car. "I can't drive? Who here can?"

"I can," Judy said as she opened it.

"As can I," Jeb added, as he leapt in. Judy took the driver's seat, Nick and Skye riding shotgun together, holding paws and their tails around each other. In the back, Edmund took up much of the room, sitting awkwardly due to his large antler rack. He didn't complain about it, though he wasn't doing much of anything anyway. In the remaining room in the back, Jeb sat next to Brittany. In the front, Skye managed to log on to the backup phone, using her own details. Her contacts and reminders popped up on the touch screen, only to then be covered in a wave of missed messages and alerts from all members of the ZED, alongside some news reports.

"Oh god," she whispered, glancing at them. "Things are bad. Really bad!"

"How bad?" Brittany asked, looking over. A look of horror overtook her face.

"The ZED's fallen," was all Judy could say, her voice trailing off into nothing.

Skye looked on, frozen, until a paw gripped hers. She looked up to see Nick, a determined look on his face, a look that gave her hope that this would all be okay in the end. "We'll see about that!" he said. Fishing around in his pocket, he managed to grab a pair of sunglasses and slip them on. "Its one-hundred and six miles to Zootopia," he said, his voice hardening. "We've got a full car of ex-empowered, half a tank of gas, it's dark, and I'm wearing sunglasses."

Skye, sitting next to him, felt his confidence and turned to Judy. Defiant, ready to fight, and even feeling better thanks to Nick's joke, she nodded. "Hit it!"

Judy was all too happy to comply, and, together, they roared out of Bushel Orchard, racing back home to Zootopia.

.

 **AN: Suffice to say I was looking forwards to writing that last bit.**


	32. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31:**

 **.**

 **Tundratown secure industrial estate C7-6.**

 **00:07**

 **.**

A cold wind was rippling through the grey timber wolf's fur as he stood to attention. A few terms in the military accustomed him to such a thing. Standing sentinel, out on the roadway, he watched the empty streets as the occasional car moved past.

"Larry?"

He looked over to his partner, currently exiting the small guard station he had been standing in. A white timber wolf, one of his brothers in arms, was exiting. A hot coffee was held in his paw.

"Thanks Gary," the grey wolf said, taking it and a having a sip.

"Want to swap?"

"Too warm in there," he replied, gesturing to the heated hut.

"It feels like it's barely above freezing."

"My point exactly."

Gary nodded. Larry didn't trim his fur or anything, choosing to wear a long coat all year around. The white wolf, meanwhile, liked to keep his trimmed to some extent. Less brushing, less fur to deal with, his clothes felt better and washing was quicker. Then again, it meant he had to wrap up more. Inside the hut was nice enough, though he didn't fancy staying outdoors too much. He handed over his partner's coffee and went back in, examining the heating once again. There were two sources, a basic electric fan heater and the radiator that plugged into the district heating. The latter was stone cold, despite the tap being opened to full, and was making an annoying bubbling sound. He guessed that you needed to bleed it and had looked up how to do so. Stepping into a back room of the hut, he carried on his search for a wrench of some kind, shifting through the shelves of rubbish. Drawers were opened and closed, items moved around and… -aha! It barely fitted in his paw, being made for a smaller mammal, but it would do the job. He picked up his radio. "Hey Larry?"

"Yes."

"Found a beaver sized adjustable wrench. Gonna fix this."

"You do that. Just got some losers from one of the other teams coming over."

Gary's head cocked slightly. "Which one?"

"Take a guess by my use of words."

"Oh… -Right."

"Yeah, one of them is just coming over now. Over."

"Over," the white wolf agreed, before slipping his radio into the pocket. Going into the front of the guard hut, he knelt down and, grabbing a cloth, began the process of bleeding the radio dry. There was a hiss of hot air, soon followed by a foam beginning to bubble from the top. Gary then shut it off and tightened it up, putting his tools down and feeling the radiator. He smiled, his tail wagging, as he felt warmth in the top. "How's about that for being a good boy," he said to himself, happily. A pin prick touched his nape and he froze, his ears going back.

"Stay calm," a stranger's voice said.

Gary was not calm. He was scared. He was in control though, thanks to his training, and he glanced around for any mirrored surfaces he could use to see his adversary. "I don't know who you are," he said, slowly putting his paws against the wall. His right one contained the small wrench, peeking out from under his palm, and he glanced at it hoping to see something useful. He might as well of looked at his own paw.

"Drop the wrench."

He did so. "Who are you?"

"The mammal who'll be asking questions here."

"Where's Larry?"

No reply came, other than a sudden pinching weight on the tip of his tail. Gritting his teeth, remaining silent, he listened on to his captor speaking. "I'll be asking the questions here," he said, "Not you. Got it?"

"Yes," Gary replied, taking a quick sniff in. He smelt multiple mammals, all a different mix.

"Good. As for your question, he's taking a nap outside."

"We'll have reinforcements," Gary said, defiantly. He ignored the increasing pressure on his tail. "They'll get you."

"Your reinforcements back at base are mostly suffering from a rather sudden stomach bug," the voice said, chuckling slightly. "You're the last one left."

Gary gulped. "So, what's with this? Now?"

He whined as the pressure on his tail increased. "To be fair," the voice said, "I was bored and curious."

"You're an idiot."

He immediately winced as he felt a dart push into the back of his neck. He tried to move immediately, only for drunken actions to come out. Stumbling, the world swimming, he felt himself get pushed to the floor, sleep coming fast. "I know it's a dumb thing to gloat your victory," the voice said. "But who's laughing now?" The last thing Gary remembered was his captors laughs as he fell asleep.

.

.

 **ZED Campus**

 **00:10**

 **.**

The guards on duty at the gate watched out over the city as the night began. One glanced down to his phone, scrolling through it like usual. Another kept his paw on his gun. Not a dart one, a real one, given the importance of the site. Most of the ZED campus was surrounded by fences, the guards having the duty of protecting the main entrance. Realistically, they were glorified concierges, and they kind of knew that. They would make sure that those who weren't supposed to come in were turned away, very rarely turn back those who wanted to leave but weren't allowed to, and had a panic button that they could press, summoning the big guns if anything really bad came. There had been some nerves after the attack on the children's party, certainly, but that had died down a lot with time. Everyone agreed that a group of ragtag mammals trying to attack the ZED would be the most one sided battle in mammalian history.

"Uh, guys…" one of them said, pointing forwards. The others looked, first at where he pointed and then at each other as a massive convoy of trucks began racing forwards towards them. One of the mammals charged towards his hut, paw ready to press the emergency alarm if this got ugly. The convoy drove up to the checkpoint and then went on straight through, smashing through the barrier and racing onwards towards the main building. Another followed, and then another, and then another, the long convoy racing through. The guard inside slammed the emergency button, while one with a gun raised it, only to have his paw lowered by a partner. "DROP IT!" he hissed, as he backed off.

"What?"

"Drop it," he said again, "there's nothing we can do. We…"

"-STOP! WEAPONS ON THE GROUND!"

They both did so, turning to see a group of assorted mammals who'd jumped off of one of the trucks. All raised their paws, as the attackers went into the guard hut and drove the mammals inside out.

"Did any of you call the ZPD?"

"The ZED will kick you but, if that's what you mean," the mammal who'd pressed the button told them.

The attacker turned to face him, stepping up right into his face. "Did you call the ZPD?"

"I pressed a silent alarm to warn the ZED, they'll be here to…"

"I know what I mean!" the attacker screamed. He was hurling abuse at a lion, but at that moment it looked like the wildebeest was the ancient predator of the pair. "ZPD! Have you called them?"

"…No. The ZED know though, they're the ones you should be scared of!"

The attacker chuckled. "Where are they then? Where are they?"

The captured guards looked at each other, fear growing on their faces.

.

.

 **Fangmeyer's office.**

 **00:10**

 **.**

The tiger groaned as she tried again, no call going through. Her enforcers were completely off the radar, and she still had no idea what was going on. In front of her, Karen and Dr. Badger had convened to discuss what was going on. McHorn and Wolford too. She'd contacted Bogo, but he'd been drinking a bit that night, not expecting there to be any requirement for him. After all, Kristen had relieved him of all duties when it turned out that he was going to be charged, giving him time to focus on his legal defence. She couldn't really blame anyone for the buffalo to be unavailable at that moment in time, though he'd opened up his phone in case he thought of anything. He mostly stayed quiet though. Mostly…

"My powers aren't working…"

"Pardon?" Fangmeyer asked, turning to the phone.

"It's odd," Bogo said absently, slurring slightly. "I can't feel anybody's powers. That's never happened before."

"Must be the drink," she noted, turning back to her small council. "In any case, apart from preparing to release this connection in case the mayor tries anything underpawed, do we have any other ideas?"

Madge shook her head. "Little to none. This is a worrying set of coincidences, certainly. But we don't know what's going on… We don't know quite what's being planned. Anything we come up with other than general damage limitation and whistle blowing is unlikely to do anything good."

Fangmeyer nodded. "It could even be counterproductive, making us adopt an inappropriate strategy when we could come up with something better on the fly. In any case…"

She was cut off as an alarm went off beside her, shocking all those in attendance. "Incident at the gates," she said, turning to Wolfard. "Check it out."

He nodded, running to the windows and opening them wide and jumping out, flopping right on the floor.

"Wolfard!"

"It's not working!" he screamed back, turning to face her. Fangmeyer paused as she saw the horrified look on his face. "My powers, they…." He was silenced as a dart hit him right in the neck. Before he even hit the floor, Kristen had closed the window and brought her paws out, pushing hard yet getting nothing out of them. "What the hell," she gasped, before looking at McHorn. "Get everyone down to the shelter, general override now!"

He nodded, hands on horn, and nothing happened. "Oh god," he gasped, as the sounds of breaking glass rung out. Fangmeyer looked at him, and then at the two smaller mammals. "We get to Point Sigma!" she ordered, running out of her office and waving the others along. They looked at each other and followed, as the sound of marching boots and screams filled the facility.

"I think…" Madge panted as she ran along. "We know what the mayor is… -is up to…"

"Not if I can help it," Fangmeyer growled, leading them along another corridor. "We get to point Sigma and barricade ourselves in, we have control of the central security… We help the ZPD take these guys out and -CRAP"

She cursed as a flurry of darts whipped at them as they turned a corner. There was a smash behind them as McHorn tumbled, staggering, as a dart stuck out of his head. "MCHORN!" Karen cried, only to feel herself get scooped up by Fangmeyer. Around another corridor, past a staircase from the test labs, and Point Sigma was right up ahead. A small control facility, able to seal itself off, and they were almost…

"GAAAAHHHH!"

Fangmeyer tumbled as a round of rubber bullets hit her back. She threw Karen forwards, the arctic hare racing into point sigma and joining Madge. The honey badger had her paw on the lockdown button, waiting for Kristen to make it.

A squad of attackers, led by a Wildebeest, rose up behind her. She turned and gave her two colleagues a firm nod.

They shut the door, sealing themselves in and Fangmeyer out. Trembling, struggling to get up, she looked into the eyes of the attacker and lunged, the mammals taken off guard by the ferocity of the tigress. She smashed into their leader, only for him to throw her into a wall, hard. She let out a feral feline yowl as it cracked and broke behind her, but not before she grabbed a coyote and held him up against her chest, her claws at his neck. "One wrong move," she warned, only to flinch as a hoof was sent towards her face. She almost dodged it, but the hit on the side of her head sent her spinning to the ground, not before slicing at her captive though. He fell, paws clutching his neck, as she launched herself at the leg of another attacker and bit down hard. He screamed and yelled, while his compatriots raised their guns and fired rounds of rubber bullets into her back. She writhed and screamed and shuddered, before another mammal finally arrived, launching a dart into her back.

Fangmeyer went still, having knocked out two of the invaders.

Their leader looked at them and nodded. "Patch them up, they'll live," he said, before turning to point sigma. He ran forwards, smashing into the door. It barely shook. Looking inside, he saw a honey badger keeping an eye on him and a white bunny on a phone. Trying again, he attempted to haul the door open, before glancing at its design and build. "Locked us out, have we?" he asked. "You're stuck in there too." He turned back to his mammals. "Keep an eye on them, maybe try and get in. I'll report to the squads rounding up the residents."

"Why?" one of the men asked.

He paused, looking down, and shrugged. "No reason." A slight grin on his muzzle betrayed him.

.

.

 **ZPD Precinct 1**

 **00:10**

 **.**

It was fairly late, and a wolf cop and a fox cop who'd been on their night shift for a little while were talking with the dispatcher when her radio rung. "Hello?"

…

"Right. Understood." She put the radio down and dialled the chief directly. "Sir. There's been an attack on the ZED. They say someone got hold of a power suppressor, and the whole place has been invaded, I… -What do you mean I know…. -The mayor?"

The two officers glanced at each other, then back at the dispatcher.

"-Not going to intervene? Are you going to listen to her? …. -Yes, I know she'd the mayor… Well I don't know either, I know less than you do. Understood."

She put the phone down and shook her head. "Apparently the mayor has called a national emergency already, but ordered the forces to hold back now. She'll be making an emergency broadcast in a few minutes."

"What the heck is going on," the wolf cop asked. "I don't know but…"

"-WHOAH! What the…" They all turned and faced a nearby member of the cleaning crew. He was an armadillo who had the nickname 'Chameleon', given his empowerment. He could change the colours on his shells, or rather they changed automatically like the lizard's skin did. It didn't have any real use though. But what all the mammals in the room were now noticing was that he looked liked an ordinary member of his species.

The dispatcher got the phone up and relayed the information. She then turned to face her officers. "He has no idea what's going on now. He's also heard reports of attacks all over the city. It almost sounds like a coup, though the mayor says that everything is under control. I don't get it…"

Gus paused, shaking his head. "Maybe those crackpots were right," he said, chuckling. It all felt too crazy. "Maybe the mayor is against all empowered."

"Well, we should stand up for them, shouldn't we?" his fox partner said. "Take down the mayor…"

"We don't even know if any laws have been broken," his partner replied, pausing. "I don't think there's one about taking mammals powers away… -Though the other stuff… The head prosecutor is a supporter of Bellwether, they used to work together, but…"

"-But nothing," the fox officer said, looking around. "We have to fight this. It's breaking the law…"

"We might be breaking the law whichever way we go, I honestly don't know," the wolf said frankly, putting a paw on his younger partner's shoulder, telling him to stay. "Now I don't like the empowered, and I don't like this, and I don't know what the heck we should do. We're damned if we do, damned if we don't."

"So what? We do nothing!?"

"We'll eventually have to pick a side."

"And which one."

The wolf shrugged. "I guess, there's only one option as to which side we choose."

"Which is?"

"The winning one."

.

.

 **Outside of Zootopia**

 **00:15**

.

The mood in the car was tense.

Silent.

The only sounds were the deep rumbling of the engine, the quiet but course sound of the wheels on the road, and the repeated dialing of the in-built phone.

It came up with nothing.

Again.

Judy grunted loudly in frustration as Skye, leaning forwards to touch the screen, aimed to try one more time. She paused though, thinking, before scrolling through the contacts list.

"What are you doing?" The bunny beside her asked.

"Trying someone else," she said. "If dispatch and the commander are down, who might have survived?"

"You mean still be available…"

"I know what I… I… -I don't know," Skye said, her voice a cold whisper.

"She's right," Nick pointed out. He looked out of the window and into the blackness, a blank look on his muzzle as his night vision let him see the moonlit countryside roll past. "They could be captured, or attacked, or dead. Hopps, you… you weren't there."

"Where?"

"The restaurant," Brittany said, speaking up. She'd been quiet, staying in the back of the car and just trying to work everything through. Her thoughts and feelings were frozen up, even if her body could no longer do that. It felt strangely disconcerting, not having to reign in her powers when her emotions dragged them one way or another. She didn't like it. It was wrong. "If these are the same mammals," she continued. "The brute who knocked out my tooth was working with them."

Skye nodded, her eyes widening before she darted forwards and pressing a contact button. "I'm trying Madge," she said, "I remembered the big meet up in her office and…"

Trailing off, the phone dialed.

It rang again.

Judy, taking her eyes off the road for a second, glanced at the two foxes in the front seat.

Another ring.

Up into the mirror, looking at those in the back.

There was a jolt as they hit a small divot in the road. A canine whine came from the back, Brittany feeling ever more nervous.

"Please…"

She was cut off as the call went through, the nervous voice of the resident vet speaking out. "Who is that?"

"Madge!" Judy almost shouted in relief.

"Judy…?"

"Is that Hopps?" another voice spoke. Karen.

"Yes!"

"Did Brittany get to you?" Madge urged. "Where are you?"

"Driving back, given that our powers aren't working," Judy replied, rapidly.

"You too?"

She nodded her head grimly, taking a bit of time to turn a corner before resuming. "I was woken up by the owner of the farm, saying he heard something," she explained, before pausing. "I tried to fly up, only for nothing to work… I then remember a dart…" Her voice had gone glum, the bad memory, if she could call her fuzzy recollection that, returning. "Then I woke up in a cell with Nick and Skye."

"We just woke up there," the cream coloured vixen said. "Darted in our sleep or something. None of our powers worked, and…" She trailed off, having to focus herself again. It was all too much.

"I was flying nearby when my flying wand failed," Brittany said. "I ditched in a river… -lost the flying wand, sorry Karen. I… -I reconnected with the empowered mammals these guys were guarding, they'd escaped, and… and…"

"She rescued us," Judy said. She glanced back at Brittany, giving a quick nod. The bunny knew what happened next and had a good idea about how it would mess with her friend. "We turned off the power limiter in the farm, but then a larger one turned on."

"I…" Madge began, before going speechless. There was a pregnant pause, and those who knew her could imagine her cradling her head, shaking it in exasperation. "You're miles away from the city! Karen said that a gram of meteor material is super controlled and expensive, and now… -What kind of thing have they got going to run three power limiters?"

"Three?" Nick asked.

"I'm afraid so," Karen said grimly. "We called the cops and were keeping up tabs, and I've been trying to work everything out. I strongly believe that there at least three limiters. One at your farm, the big one, and the one at the ZED. There was a lag between us losing our powers here and the police chief saying the city had been hit. Taking us out first, then everyone else. But what Dr. Badger said, and by proxy myself, is still true. One power limiter fair enough, but three… And one reaching out so far. It defies belief, which is saying something given the general state of Empowerment Studies."

"General state?" Nick asked.

"The general consensus with a lot of things around empowered mechanics is that 'they just work'," she explained, slightly distastefully. "Horrifically unscientific, but the best one-hundred years of study has given us. It's like chemistry before the periodic table… -a thousand years before or so. Quite annoying. Maybe these mammals found a way to enhance the effectiveness massively, but it still seems impossible. They're fighting the inverse cube law, and there's only so much you can squeeze out of a tiny lump of that stuff."

"They have a rhino sized bit of meteor to play with," Judy said nonchalantly, before flinching back at the opposing pairs' response.

"WHAT!?" The car swerved, and for a brief moment Judy had to battle with the wheel, getting it back on track. Tires squealed, and the passengers were shaken about and bumped up and down, before everything evened out. As she finally recovered, making another turning to take them to the motorway junction, the mammals on the other side spoke up again.

"Your turn to explain," Madge said. "This is unreasonable… This makes no sense. The meteors were collected up and are heavily controlled."

"Well," a new voice spoke up, as Jeb clambered forwards. "My partner and I got swindled into digging one up!"

"Tell us everything," Karen slowly instructed. Jeb recounted the job quickly, finishing off and letting the others respond.

"I still don't understand how it was not discovered when it landed, wouldn't there be a crater?"

"It fell into the river," Brittany said, matter of factly. She'd been thinking about it, and after remembering the story about the boat, it all made sense. "It was buried there, nobody knowing, and as the river meandered it found itself under land."

"And someone found out and roped you guys into extracting it," Madge said grimly. Those who knew her could imagine her shaking her head. "Like turkeys voting for Kitmas… This is not good…"

"Yes," Judy said, before pausing. "You said you were in contact with the cops. What's going on?"

"The ZED fell when our powers went and we were invaded by attackers. Us two are currently under siege in Point Sigma and…"

She was cut off as a shriek came from the back of the car. Looking back, the passengers saw Brittany, a look of horror on her face as she cradled herself, shaking. "Bree!" Skye gasped, getting up and clambering over to her. "What's wrong?"

She looked up, her eyes broken with fear. "Larry!" she said, before stuttering. "He -he… -KINSEY!"

"Oh god," Karen gasped. "The students. The new families, I…" There was a scrambling from the other side as she searched for something, while in the car Brittany began crying. She'd forgotten about the families. The families she'd wanted there. The families which were there because she had argued they'd be safe. The families she'd put into harm's way. Her friends and family were captured, and that was bad enough, but the knowledge that innocent mammals, her sister included, were let into the firing line at her paw was worse. It came crashing down on her, a crushing wave of guilt and horror that should have made her freeze over. She was too distraught to notice that she wasn't, paws over her eyes as she cried out. Skye came around her, hugging her tight and trying to comfort her, while in the front Judy wept a few tears of sympathy. They were on the motorway now, the bunny racing forwards fast. There was a tense and mournful feeling inside, as they drove forwards into the unknown.

.

…

"We've got them!"

"Huh?" Brittany gasped, looking up. With Skye's paws around her, she'd mostly cried herself out, but she still felt dreadful. A little ember of hope burned though, lit by what Karen had just said over the radio. Over in the ZED, Madge watched as Karen flicked through the security cameras. There was no clear visualisation for where they were, so the hare had to filter through them at random. Occasionally she'd note down the location of one or the other, as well as anything of interest that she could see. Her eyes were fixed on a video feed, showing staff and residents being shepherded down by the invaders. She froze slightly as she saw a squad march past, lethal weapons in paws. "They're rounding everyone up, and splitting off enforcers and assistors from general staff. They…" She paused as she tried a new camera, her eyes widening. It was one of the gym buildings, and the guards were lining up the students and families on the floor. "The students are being taken into the gym on the north wing, and guarded by mammals with non-lethal weapons."

The voice of Nick Wilde spoke up from the phone, her ears rising to listen in. "Does the clarification of non-lethal weapons mean there are lethal ones in there? As I'm pretty sure it does."

"Affirmative," Karen said. "There's a decent minority with live ammunition."

The statement was followed by an ominous silence from all parties, only broken by the occasional clicking of a computer mouse as the arctic hare zoomed in or panned about. From the corner of her eye, she saw a large figure get marched in and, focussing, she saw Clawhauser enter. He looked around, worried, and Madge looked in too. She pointed to a figure next to him, holding his paw and looking around scared.

"Brittany, I can't see Larry. But I see Clawhauser and I see your sister. They're safe, for now, but there's nothing we can do."

Judy spoke up. "We can try," she said. "Try and help."

Karen shook her head. "We're going to have to brainstorm if you want to have anything like a chance of making a difference. We can try and search for the suppressor in the ZED, but we need to work out where the giant one is too. Then we need to find out how to knock them both out. The enforcers can then sort the remainder out, including our dodgy mayor."

There was a pause, before Skye spoke out from the other side. "Let's make sure whether it is the mayor in the first place. Yes there's the coincidences, but…"

"-I just got an alert on my phone," Madge said, holding it up in her paw. "The mayor is about to make a speech on the radio. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Over in the car, Judy nodded. "We'll hang up when it starts. Is there nothing you can do?"

Madge and Karen looked around, the latter pausing to think before speaking out. "We're in a security control point, I remember doing a lot of design work for centralised systems. The ZED has systems, doors, lifts and all sorts connected to a central control mainframe. Designed for optimisation and things such as emergency lockdowns. It's what sealed Brittany out of the bunker when Jack got too close."

"That's good," Nick spoke up, hopefully. "Use that!"

"There's two problems. There's no real user interface, so while you could irritate the attackers, you couldn't really use it to strike a major blow against it. Not that you might be able to strike a major blow anyway..." She paused, resting her head in her paws and then carried on. "In any case, to get full manual control, you need an iris scan authorisation from someone of a high rank. The commander or one of her top brass." She looked over towards the door to the room. The attackers were examining it, looking for a weakness, and beyond that the fallen of both parties had gone. "Fangmeyer led us here with McHorn, both to protect us and, I guess, get that control. Both got hit, McHorn falling, and Fangmeyer trying to take down some of them with her… -She only got us to safety. Wolfard was caught earlier. We have no way of using any of the more advanced controls."

"Is there anyone else?" Judy asked.

Madge shook her head. "I don't think so, no. In any case, they've been rounded up. I don't know what we can do."

Back in the car, Brittany, still thinking through her friends and family back at the ZED, shifted onto one in particular. Her eyes widened, and she leant forwards and spoke out. "Where's Bogo?"

"He was back in his room, a bit drunk," Karen said, walking back to the computer screen to filter through. "I don't think I saw him, I…" She paused, her ears going up, before she ran back to the phone, almost yanking it out of Madge's paw. "Brittany, did you have the same plan I just had?"

"I…" Brittany began. There was a slight hitch, before she spoke up hopefully. "I am now!"

"What plan?" Madge asked, as she heard Judy piping up.

"That's genius, that's…"

"What plan!?"

"Bogo would have had the clearance," Karen said, running over to a screen by an iris scanner. She looked through, before letting herself give a tiny rallying fistpump. "No one removed it from him when he stepped down!"

Madge gasped. Karen raced back to the video screen, filtering through until she found the corridor outside his room. She reached down to her phone, only to pause as she saw two ibexes walking along it, putting their ears to each door to check inside before moving on. She felt her heart skip a beat as they reached his door…

Which immediately opened, the pair getting whipped inside, before it closed again.

"I think the old chief will be safe for now," the arctic hare noted, telling those in the car as much. She paused, though, as a notification came up. "Though here comes that PSA of the mayors," she said. "Let's see what she's planning."

"We'll have to turn the phone off to get the radio," Judy said, as she gestured to Skye to make the change. "We'll call you back soon."

"Likewise. We'll also inform Bogo," Karen said, before Skye pressed the hang-up button. The car went strangely silent. There was the rumbling of the engine, and the low shaking of the wheels as it raced along the empty road. Up ahead, the bright lights marched onwards, ever sweeping past them as they advanced. Unknowing cars, in lines of red in front or white going the other way, passed by obviously.

Skye turned the radio on, and they heard the mayor speak.

"Citizens of Zootopia," she said, her voice having a sincere honesty and a worrying calmness. "Some of you may have noticed a number of unusual events which have occured this night. Some of you may have seen military forces advancing, or heard of a hostage situation at the ZED. Those of you afflicted with empowerements may have noticed them failing to work." There was a pause, and then she carried on, a perk in her tone. "I am happy to say though that you are not in danger. No-one is in danger. In fact, we have never been safer for over a hundred years. Over a century ago, the supermammal became a reality in our lives. Many of us would have liked to have imagined the glorious exploits which would follow, and indeed many did. But, in hindsight, there is a simple and unwavering truth behind what has happened to us. We have been cursed with powers that no mammals should ever have. Powers that, in the wrong paws, can do terrible good, yes, but also terrible harm. Wars have been started and fueled by mammals with the power of gods at their paws. Criminals and the unstable have been provided with the strength to battle and exort that no sane society would deign to provide them with. Were they not given them, they may well have lived ordinary lives. Other empowered have, while starting with good intentions, succumbed to the rot, seduced by the calling tug towards dominion and dominance that some powers exert." There was a steadying breath, and then an ever so slight chuckle. In the car, Brittany growled slightly at the gall of it. "No mammal, good or bad, should be given these powers. We don't give weapons to random mammals on the streets, do we not? The harm, the ever growing harm, that a minority of empowered force upon us is more than anything we deserve. Anything that the common law abiding citizen should have to fear. Yet it goes on and on. Until now. Until today. Until I chose to do something about it."

"Come on," Nick said, rolling his paw a little. "Monologue out your plan like a good villain."

"To all the empowered out there, I want to promise you that you are safe," she said, going off on a different tangent. "I do not intent to pursue the tactics used by those in the past to deal with the empowered. Murder. Fear. Genocide… I had nothing to do with the terror attack on empowered, I promise that on my father's grave…" In the car, Brittany let out an angry growl as the mayor carried on. "I hope for the empowered out there to see me as a liberator. I wish to do nothing for you but to liberate you of your curse. The curse that you never asked for. The curse that now, thanks to me, you are free from. You can live your lives like every other mammal, happy and safe. Those two things are all I want for this city. Of course, you may ask why I am using this power grab of a method to implement these plans. Quite simply, I would be unable to pursue them openly without the more autocratic members of the empowered striking against me beforehand. Did we not see with the ZED, how they are willing to persecute an innocent mammal for a decade! All in order to save one of their own! They then chose to continue this, all to save face, until being blackmailed into revealing the truth. Were I openly promoting my plans, I have no doubt that I would be dead or discredited already. That's disregarding the actions of individual empowered, or those non-empowered under the spell of the empowered lobby, who would try the same. In short, a few power hungry empowered would make revolution by democratic means impossible. Henceforth, I had to use force… For those concerned about democracy, I want you to know that none of my party knew of my conspiracy. Indeed, I have an increasing number of most likely furious calls incoming. I would be furious too, if the mammal I entrusted to lead this city did this."

There was a pause. Her tone had been sullen, almost regretful. Nick guessed she didn't like the methods she'd used, but the end result justified it. He listened on, as the Ewe carried on speaking.

"Regardless, I want you all to know the following things. I have declared a state of emergency, given the persistent damage that empowered have done. In time, I plan to keep the removal of powers, something currently not illegal, ongoing, and write it into a new constitution. In time, there will be new elections. A new government. A new Zootopia, in which no-one needs to fear. Those at the ZED, currently detained safely, will be returned home." She paused, clearing her throat slightly. "I want you all to know that this is the dawn of a new Zootopia, a safe Zootopia. In one-hundred years, mammals will celebrate the anniversary of this day, as we do other holidays. For this day, is one where we all win. Where the world becomes a better place."


	33. Chapter 32

**AN: I now have a patre0n: www - patre0n - com / JShuteNorway (replacing the dashes with full stops, turn the 0 into o, and no spaces). (And, yes, fanfic is stupid for making me have to do this.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 32.**

 **.**

"I just want to know," Bogo said, sitting down on his chair. "What are you doing here at the ZED?"

He held up his arm, the bruised head of an ibex held tight within his hoof. The mercenary looked at him, dizzily, croaking slightly for air.

"Now this…" he began, pointing down as he leant forwards. The intruder winced slightly as he smelt a potent tang of alcohol in the cape buffalo's breath. "This is my ZED. I do not like mammals in my ZED. What are you doing here?"

The captive choked slightly, managing to grow a cocky smile. "You're so pissed you can only quote nineties TV show taglines," he said, holding up a hoof to wave in front of his captor. He watched as the inebriated mammal's eyes traced his waving digit, all the while his other hoof made its way down towards his holster. His main weapon had been a proper assault rifle, armed with specialist rubber-tranq bullets. The impact would blind any hit mammals with pain, which they wouldn't recover from by the time the drugs it was coated with would finish the job. On being dragged into here, both his partner's and his own weapons had been torn from them.

Still, he had a side arm.

A traditional tranq gun, ex-police issue.

Just keep the drunken idiot distracted for long enough and he could…

He was thrown to the side, going so fast that his horns smashed into the wall, breaking through the dry lining and getting stuck. He pushed backwards, trying to loosen himself, only to find he couldn't and, in a last desperate act, he dove back to grab his dart gun.

"Looking for something?"

He groaned, spotting that damned buffalo looking over him, holding his dart gun teasingly in his arm. "Well guess what!" he said, waving it close to him. "Can't have it!"

He wandered back to his chair and sat down, pointing the dart back at the intruder. "Now tell me again…" he began to say, only to pause and chuckle. "I've just 'general wasabi'd two mammals in one night!"

The ibex groaned and looked over to his partner, who was stuck in a similar position, horns in wall. Pushing out and failing to dislodge himself again, he looked over. "Where does that reference even come from?"

"I don't know!" Bogo exclaimed, before a few little chuckles, still deep and powerful from his voice, escaped him. He walked away a bit, slightly off balance from all the drink he'd been taking before, back when he thought he was just a mammal fallen from grace who could just spend the night drowning his sorrows, rather than one in an unusual situation like this. "What I do know," he began again, as his brow furrowed and rage took over. "IS THAT I DO NOT LIKE YOU! YOU ATTACKED MY ZED! WHY?"

They both remained silent.

"Well guess what," he said, seething slightly as he paced around. "You're both fired!"

…

"Hang on," he said, pausing. "That doesn't work." He grumbled, walking back past them and towards an open drinks cabinet. "I didn't expect to have company tonight," he said, waving at the bottles within. "So, I thought I'd have some innocent me time, given that I am in a bit of trouble with the law… Just a bit of self-pity…" He looked at them darkly. "Is that too much to ask?"

There was silence until one of the ibexes looked to the other and spoke. "If he's like this when drunk, I don't want to meet him with sober."

"Stay silent for long enough," Bogo warned, "And you will." He cracked his knuckles and loomed up to them. "I've never been one to use torture to get results…"

….

"I'm still not," he said, walking away. He paused though as he heard his phone ring. Holding it up to him, he nodded and then wandered back towards his door. One of the ibexes looked towards the other, then at the entrance, as the unlocked door was kicked open. An armed leopard stepped in, pausing, his eyes widening in shock as he saw his two comrades. One of them shouted out, telling him about the danger waiting for him, but it was too late. Two arms picked him up beneath his armpits and, before he knew it, his head had smashed up into the ceiling, knocking him out cold. His weapons dropping to the floor, Bogo pulled them in with his feet before closing the door. He stared at the captive in his arms, looking around, before smiling as he saw the window. He wandered over, just as the cat began to recover.

"What are…"

"You know, I've never tried defrustrating someone before," Bogo said casually, before opening the window and chucking the leopard out of it. He smiled, brushing his paws, before looking back at the two former captives. "It's rather fun."

The two ibexes looked at each other, then back at him.

"IT'S THREE STORIES DOWN!"

"IT'S CALLED DEFENESTRATION!"

The first looked to the other and scowled. "Seriously? He could be dead, and you're…"

"He's a cat," Bogo dismissed. "They land on their feet." He paused and glanced out of the window. "Well, most of them."

"Most cats or most of their feet?" one of the ibexes asked.

Bogo shrugged. "Why not find out for yourself?"

Their eyes widened before they felt themselves getting pulled out of the wall.

"NO!"

"LET US DOWN!"

Bogo shrugged. "Sure thing," he said, and he let a dark smile grow on his face and a chuckle come out as the two others followed their friend out of the window. The Cape Buffalo peered out, making sure they were knocked out cold, before he closed a window and turned back to his phone. "Sorry Madge, where were we?"

"Oh thank goodness, you're okay. That's good. This wouldn't work without you, and it's the only thing we've got, and…"

"Point, Madge."

"Ah, right," she said, composing herself. She pinched the bridge of her muzzle, wandering around Point Sigma as she did so. "We've just had the mayor claim over the radio that she's liberating Zootopia from the empowered, using a dampening field to do so. We're pretty sure that she got the mammals who employed Judy and Skye to dig up an undiscovered meteor, which is where they got the material. We don't know how, but they have a field covering the whole city. In addition, we're pretty sure there's a smaller one here. Karen and I are in Point Sigma, and there's not much we can do. However, since you still have your clearance, you can give us access to the complete controls for the security systems. The climate control. The lifts. Everything… It'll be the best advantage we can get."

"Just remind me what the password hint is again," he said, pinching his brow.

…

"Bogo, it's an iris scanner…"

"No, no clue," he said, shaking his head. "That's a really stupid hint."

"That was not the hint!" The honey badger scolded. "That was me telling you that we need you right here, to take a scan of your eyes and give us control!" She paused, taking a few deep breaths, before carrying on. "How much did you have to drink?"

He shrugged. "Just one or two…"

"One or two glasses," she said, confused. "Even if they were scaled up, you…"

"Kegs," he said. "Not glasses, kegs."

…

"Oh queen of the hive…"

"Well, I'm sorry!" He exclaimed slightly, beginning to pace around his room. "I already had this day marked in for 'feeling sorry for myself', and no-one informed me that someone had booked an evening of 'war' until it was too late. Maybe Karen should have fixed those dumb email notifications that half of everybody always seems to miss. Because, quite evidently, I missed the one that said 'this night until the foreseeable future: WAR!'"

…

Madge shook her head. "Right. Sorry. Listen, try and stay quiet and hold up." She paused, looking over at Karen, the arctic hare busy at the camera screens. She'd pinned out some floor plans for the ZED building and was marking the camera locations, trying to get a better handle on everything.

"I think I can make Point Sigma quite easily," Bogo countered, confidently. He picked up one of the dropped assault guns, putting the specialist ammunition in his pouch, before grabbing a giant elephant sized shield from his wall. It was like a riot shield to him. "Just knock a few nasty guys out and…"

"-NOT YET! Not yet, I…" Madge urged. She looked frantically around the room, before her eyes rested on the arctic hare next to her. "-Karen is mapping out where all the cameras are. We can track where the attackers are and guide you through safely once that's done." She paused, breathing out. "And you'll be in a better state to attack. More of the alcohol gone from your system."

…

"Bogo…"

…

"BOGO?"

"Sorry," he replied. "Ocelot this time." There was a pause and a deep chuckling. "You know, I told everyone that there wasn't enough room in here to swing a cat… Turns out I was wrong."

"Understood," Madge said, pinching the brow of her muzzle. "Just stay safe until we're ready."

"I will."

The vet hung up, just as a shout came from Karen. Racing over, she saw the arctic hare peering at a camera in the main lobby, watching as a large thing on wheels was pulled in. It looked like a hospital trolley, albeit covered in metal plates and with tougher wheels, and she saw a diesel generator get pulled in behind. "That's the small ZED field!"

"Is it on?"

"I don't know," she said. "It looks though like they're carrying power cables and such. Maybe to connect to our own power system." Pausing, she looked up at Madge. "They plug it in, we could use the complete control systems to cut the power to it once the city field is down." There was a pep in her voice before a frown appeared. "However, they'd put the generator back on quickly. Too fast for any of the captured enforcers to do anything. And that's presuming we get complete control and the city field is turned off too." She looked on as the thing vanished, trying to find the next camera along but failing, pushing her into a set of bitter mumbles.

Madge nodded, before dialling up the car. They had no idea where the city field generator was, or what they could do about it. All they knew was that there were only a few mammals who could make a difference.

 **.**

.

Miles away, in a car racing down a motorway, those mammals were taking in what they'd just heard on the radio. Judy in particular was shaking her head. "Why would she say that? Why would she just give out her plan, like she expected people to accept it? They won't!"

"They might not," Skye said, peering out of the window. "But what can they do about it?"

"They can resist," the bunny said. "They can riot. They can…"

"Get knocked down by the same goons who attacked the restaurant," Skye interrupted. She was about to carry on when the car's phone rang. The cream coloured vixen pressed the accept button and relaxed a bit as the familiar voice of the vet spoke up.

"Bogo is safe," she said. "And a bit drunk… Quite drunk in fact, but we'll be holding off for a bit. Let it work through him, and let Karen map out all the cameras." There was a pause, and she spoke out again. "Did you hear the mayor's speech."

"Yup," Judy replied, nodding. "It… -It was arrogant, for one thing."

"Quite common among super villain types," Karen piped in. "Arrogant, proud of their work coming to close fruition. I knew this Binturong therapist who actually did a book about the urge to monologue. Quite interesting."

"I think it'll be her downfall, the dumb Ewe."

"Quite," the arctic hare replied. "Arrogance and a lack of intelligence go hand in hand. She may be winning the battle, but I'm pretty sure she's lost the war."

Judy was about to speak, only for someone to interrupt her.

"No…"

It was Nick, and he leant over close to the centre console, shaking his head with a paw to his brow. "Don't let yourself fall into that trap."

"What trap?" Judy asked.

He looked at her, a dead serious expression in his eyes. "The trap of underestimating your enemies."

"I don't think I…"

"You were," he said, speaking more to the vet and scientist on the other side of the phone than the bunny driving. "You said she was dumb, right? Lacked intelligence, was dumb, doesn't matter which or who! All that matters is you're saying she can't think things through and can be outsmarted easily." He paused, looking around the car. "Well look at where we are now. If she was actually intelligent, how much worse would it be?"

Judy paused, before the voice of Karen came in over the radio. "Maybe she is intelligent…"

Nick harrumphed. "She's successfully organised a military takeover of a country without a formal military, having worked her way up the political pole for at least a decade. She's successfully located a thing that shouldn't exist, tricked a bunch of mammals into finding and extracting it for her, and has currently got almost the entire ZED under lock and key." He paused, looking at the screen. "Maybe she is intelligent?"

"Good point," Karen said, after a little bit. "Though she was arrogant enough into roping in a bunch of empowered into finding that meteor, and now you've escaped."

Judy blinked a few times, having worked something out, and spoke up. "Piper and Lanhoff hiring us three was probably bad luck on her part. As for hiring them two in the first place, maybe she had sudden time constraints." She paused, glancing back into the car, her eyes settling onto Brittany. "They got very unlucky with those two getting out, but they captured the dangerous empowered, didn't they? Were it not for Brittany, her plan would be going just fine."

"Right," Karen said. "But maybe her pride at being so successful bubbled past that intelligence when she gave that speech? She outed herself as a bad guy to the entire city."

Nick nodded. "Yes. It is odd. But after planning for so long in the shadows, I hardly think she'd slip up into being so showy."

"And that's my point," the arctic hare said. "Surely a sensible mammal would keep it quiet. Just turn the damper on, shut down all empowered, and keep it a secret! No need to advertise it all to the world."

"Unless there is," Nick said, leaning forwards, suddenly a bit more eager.

"Huh?"

"This is the point I'm trying to get across! With all this planned out in advance, that speech was too! You're right that putting a field up in secret and staying quiet is likely the most sensible option, but she chose not to do it. Why? That's the real thing we should be finding an answer for."

"I…" Karen began, only to be interrupted as Judy spoke out.

"I mean, maybe they couldn't hide it, keep it a secret!" she said. "Get that cat out of the bag right away."

Nick smiled. "Bingo, carrots."

The bunny looked at him, holding her fist out and getting a celebratory fist bump in response, before she focussed back on the road. They needed to get back to the city in one piece after all.

"Maybe there's magnetic fields involved," Madge pondered. "Or some form of radiation that could be tracked."

"Like the Hainan woodpecker?" Karen suggested.

Back in the car, there were blank looks on all the faces present. "What's this about a woodpecker?" Brittany asked.

"Back in the seventies, there was a strange repeating radio signal coming out of Hainan," Karen explained.

"Where's that?" Jeb asked from the back, his voice shaking the group a little.

"An island off the south coast of the Republic of China, used to be the last bastion of the People's Republic. The communists fled there after losing the civil war. -Regardless, mammals detected this very rapid and consistent repeating tapping sound in the short-wave radio bands, coming from the island. Used to cause a lot of grief with radio hobbyists in Hong Kong. There were a lot of conspiracy theories that this was an attempt to block out empowerments, though in reality it was an experiment in O-T-H, over the horizon radar... -In any case, while that didn't have anything to do with powers, maybe the mayor developed a way to enhance the meteor based damping technique which leaves such a trace? If it was magnetism, for instance, maybe it could be tracked down."

Madge spoke up. "Foxes have magneto-sensitive compounds in their eyes. The cone cells in particular. They might be able to see the interference, I believe it manifests itself as odd shadows here and there."

All three foxes in the car nodded. "Yup," Skye said. "With that, and so many suddenly ex-empowered foxes, they might all gang together once they've found it to destroy it. If Bellwether was playing innocent all that time, she'd be unable to do anything but help them along. This way, though, she lays all her cards out and removes that risk."

Nick shook his head. "Listen, I shut down one of those things. It was small and had some things next to it that did increase the range. There were magnets there, but not much." He paused. "Only really noticed some of the blurs when I got in close. Bury it deep enough, you can easily block out all magnets and radio waves for that matter." There was a pause. "What about an abandoned cave in the nocturnal district?" he was silent for a second, before shaking his head. "-No, scratch that. She'd only hide that there if doing the hide it technique. Of course, it might be the first place mammals look, given all we've said. So, it only makes sense not hiding it there if you were trying to hide it there in the first place and I'm confused now." He shoved his faced in his paws as his head throbbed.

"So, it might not be emitting things that mammals can use to track it down," Karen said.

"I do know someone who dabbles in homemade radios," Madge said. "I could call her, get her to filter through just in case."

"We know it's your sister," Brittany said from the back. "And that's all fine."

"Oh….!" She said, a hint of surprise in her voice before she carried on sullenly. "I guess… -You know about my sister, then…"

Nick's ears rose slightly, and he turned to face Brittany. "Hmmm. I didn't know you knew Honey," he said, looking at her.

"Wait, how do you know my sister!?"

Brittany shrugged, looking forwards at Nick. "Karen gave me the cliff notes when showing me a lightsaber she made in the lab…"

"It's not a lightsaber," Karen said.

"You told them about my sister!" the vet exclaimed.

"Just her…"

"-and Madge recruited her to help me find Larry's parents," Brittany continued, "And she made the connection between him, Nate Bushel, and Bellwether."

"No, stop changing the topic," Madge ordered. "How do you know my sister Nick?"

"Which is why you flew over here," Nick replied to Brittany. "All because Honeybun found something."

"HONEYBUN!"

"Right," Brittany said. "It seems you know her well…"

"-YES! ENOUGH TO CALL HER HONEYBUN! HOW?!"

He chuckled. "She's probably a mixture of terrified and ecstatic that her conspiracy theories are true…"

"Queen of the hive! Have you been encouraging her?"

The red vixen's head tilted slightly. "Conspiracy theories?"

"WE'RE NOT GOING THERE!"

"The Vet is right," Nick said, shaking his head.

"SO YOU ARE LISTENING TO ME!"

"And ignoring you," he said. "In any case, if things all go to crap, we could shelter there for a bit. She might still have my old futon."

"Fu…" Madge began before pausing, resuming with a voice laced with unimpressed sarcasm. "HA! HA! HAAA! I get it. Funny! NOT!" She clapped her paws slowly as Nick carried on.

"She's a bit of a doomsday prepper," Nick explained to Brittany and the rest of the crew. "Paranoid. Has her own homemade bunker and arsenal, though I don't think anything will be of any use."

"You are not getting her involved!"

"Doc," Nick said, glancing over his shoulder. "If you knew her, you'd know that involvement is something she gets into whatever you do."

"OF COURSE I KNOW HER! WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?"

"The mammal who gives her the jumbo pack of extra-deluxe marshmallows on her birthday and at kitmass?" He paused. "Bar that time you gave her that jumbo collection of candied mealworms as well…. Could you tell me the supplier? They were scrumptious!"

"That was eight years…" the vet gasped, "You… -THE FUTON WASN'T A JOKE. WAS IT?" The sound of two palms impacting a face rang out, a groan following, before she growled out her words. "No mealworms for you until we get back on topic, and no marshmallows for her for quite some time!"

Nick nodded, before turning back. "She's right, we've gotten distracted from the main point of discussion. My apologies."

"That's right," Madge said harshly. "Now…"

"-How else could mammals find this blocker thing?"

"NO!" Madge screamed. "That's not the topic!"

"It kind of is," Skye pointed out.

"Yup," Judy agreed.

"It is the most important thing," Brittany added.

"The original topic for sure," Karen said.

…

"I thought you were on my side, Karen," Madge hissed. Over at the ZED she was staring daggers at the hare, who simply ignored her and carried on trying to map up the cameras. Making a break from noting in a new one and a new location, she turned back to the phone.

"What about power? We've been focussing on the outputs of this thing. What about inputs?"

"Karen!" Madge shouted, her paws balled up in front of her and shaking. She stopped though, letting them drop down, before she plodded away glumly. "Just go on and forget it all!" she hissed, before muttering to herself. " _Queen of the hive, friends like these who needs…"_

Judy nodded. "I guess the police force could track down potential industrial users from the grid data, find out if anyone started up just beforehand. It was commonly used in Bunnyburrow to find those growing illegal drugs in underground burrows. Look for the odd high energy user, then send some sniffers out, and you might find a ton of stuff being growing with sunlight lamps."

Nick shook his head. "With how long she's been planning it, wouldn't they work around that? Find an industrial plant, or waste energy before, so nothing seemed to change when they switched it all over? Or maybe do a wiretap. Or generate their own electricity."

"We spotted the ZED damper field," Karen pointed out. "Lost it though, given how hard it is to track with these cameras. They had a decent sized diesel generator, and at least had the range to hit us from the edge of the campus. But with the range they're hitting, presuming that power usage follows the cube law, you'd need at least twenty-seven million times more…" There was a pause. "Of course, I don't know how the size of the meteor chunk effects everything and such, or what boosters they developed, but you're talking about city scale energy use or… or…"

…

"Karen?" Madge asked, her voice coming over the phone.

…

"I know why she came out into the open!" she said. "Nick, you're right! There's no way they can hide it. Every mammal in Zootopia would be able to spot when it's on!"

"I…" he began, before pausing. "Of course!"

"Yes!" Skye gasped. "It's obvious."

"What is?" Brittany asked, looking around.

"What's the number one energy use in the city," Karen asked, as Brittany's eyes went wide.

"The climate wall," she said.

"The climate systems, to be exact," she said. "The rainforest district actually uses far more energy due to the need to evaporate so much water and get the right temperature and humidity all year around," she said. "But if the heaters go off, mammals will notice fairly quickly. It wouldn't take long for the wind and convection to clear out most of the warm air." There was a pause. "Does anyone know anyone living in the rainforest district?"

"My sister," Madge said.

Nick nodded and spoke up too. "I know someone too…"

"SHUT UP WILDE!"

…

"I was going to say my mother, Doc," he said.

"… If you're going to ask for an apology, forget it," Madge grumbled. "I'll go get my phone."

Nick brought his out too and called up. He immediately flinched back, receiving an earful. "Yes, I'm safe!" he urged. "Don't worry. Don't… No, I'm with a bunch of others, going to stop her… -Saving the world, kind of thing?" There was a pause, and he smiled slightly. "Yes, right up deep in their tailholes. I promise… Yes, I'll look after myself too… I love you too, but I need to ask you something… -NO! The handbag is not needed… -Is anything dodgy going on outside. With the weather systems?... Right. Thanks. That's brilliant…. -Love you too, bye!" He put his phone down and glanced back at the others. "It is getting far too cold out there, something is wrong."

"Honey just confirmed it too," Madge piped up.

"So, they've diverted power from the climate systems and into their device," Judy recounted. "Everyone would notice that, so honesty was the only option."

"And we now know what we need to do," Skye said. "Shut down the power." There was a pause, and her ears drooped down. "But it'll be guarded."

"We can do some research," Karen said. "It's not necessarily one target, it's a chain of them. We just need to find the weakest link, attack, and break the chain."

Skye nodded, before looking away. She pinched the bridge of her muzzle hard, groaning, shaking it as the frustration boiled over. Nick nudged up to her too, hugging her tight to try and comfort her.

"You okay?"

"No…" she said, groaning. "It's just… everything going on… it's all just catching up and… -GAH!"

"It'll be okay," he said, giving her a gentle peck on the cheek.

"I…" she began, before looking away. "Everything is wrong. I mean… -Grrrr, we may be a good team, I mean the war games showed that we could work well together. But… -But the place is all wrong! All wrong, and we're outclassed, and maybe we do know what we have to do! But what difference can we really make?"

She looked down, bitterly. All this weight on her shoulders, after everything that had happened. She began to breath faster, suddenly feeling like she was being crushed.

"Skye," Brittany said, her voice ringing out. The cream coloured vixen's ears rose up, and the weight lifted slightly. "Maybe this is all the wrong place for us," she said, smiling. "But the right mammal in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world."

"Nice reference there," Karen said, a smile growing on Nick and Jeb's muzzles.

Brittany looked at them all, smiling proudly. "Words of wisdom from my favourite ZED commander." She slipped forwards onto the front seat, past Nick and Jeb as they looked at each other and both gave a quick shoulder shrug, before parking herself next to Skye. The two sisters' paws held onto each other, and a determined look grew over the elder one's face. "We'll be waiting on that plan of attack then," she said, looking over to the centre console.

Karen's voice spoke out. "Understood. Though it's still a pain trying to get this camera mapping sorted. After all this is over, I'll need to create a good graphics user interface…." There was a pause, as she shook her head. "And if this is convoluted, I don't want to think how hard the actual central controls will be. Sure, we can put in place automatic lockdowns… But trying to herd or direct these attackers when I can't even find their damper device… It'd take me days to program something when I need it in under an hour."

Jeb spoke up. "Any of you speedy foxes know code? Could go outside the damper field, write her up a program and send it over!" It was meant as a joke, and Skye did give a little giggle.

"I don't know anything about computers, really…"

"Me neither," Nick said. "And I don't think our super speed works like that."

"Shame," Jeb said with a shrug. "It sounds like we need a super coder for this part or something…"

.

…

"Oh my god!"

All eyes turned to Brittany as she jumped up, jiggling about.

"I KNOW ONE OF THEM!"

"Huh?"

"A code weaver," she explained. "Met him on holiday. Friend of Sam… -my ex…"

"We're boned then," Nick snarked, getting a flick on the nose from the younger vixen.

"We're still friends," she said. "And I've got his number. And…." She paused, her eyes closing as she groaned. "ARGGHHHHHH! MY PHONE!"

She reached into her pocket anyway, trying it again, and finding it as dead as it had been before.

"Right," she said, closing her eyes. "Think. Think… Don't know where he lives… Can't remember his name either… Was he Lucas? Or… -Have to go through Sam. He said he lived in New Reynard, his mother ran a diner and…" She looked up, pointing to Nick and Skye. "Phone, quick!"

Nick nodded, unlocking his and passing it over. Brittany sat down and surfed through it as fast as she could. The screen went clear and dull as each wave of road lights swept past, ever marching as they rumbled forwards. She searched for diner's in New Reynard, the mobile internet painfully slow. Finding only one, she dove for a glove box, finding a notebook and a pen, where she wrote down the phone number. "It says 'all night diner'," she said, crossing her fingers before dialling in the new number.

She held her breath as it rung.

Once…

Twice….

Three ti…

"-Hello?"

"Hello!" Brittany said. "Is this the diner in New Reynard?"

"Yes honey," the voice answered. "Are you looking for a booking?"

"No," she said. "Listen, do you know a teenage fox called Sam?"

There was a slight 'hmmphh' from the other side, a happy little noise. "I sure know my boy, if that's what you mean?"

"Right," she said. "I know him, but I need to talk to him, to get in contact with an empowered friend of his. It's urgent!"

There was a painful pause.

"Is it Hon, really?" the sceptical voice spoke back.

"Listen," Brittany explained. "Are you aware of what's going on in Zootopia."

"I… -Well there's this stuff on the news that's going on. I really don't know the details."

"I'm with the ZED," she said. "One of the few not captured and part of the resistance. Those still free inside the ZED compound think they can fight back if they have a specific bit of programming. One which that friend of Sam's can create."

"You're the ZED girl… Brittany, was it?"

Her tone was blank, and Brittany cringed. "Listen," she said, taking a deep breath and looking down remorsefully. "If you want to lash out at me… -for falling out of love…"

"No, nothing like that," she said, her voice going softer. "I have a lot of thoughts about you, from what I've heard… I will say this though, after meeting you my little Sammy has seemed happier than he's been for quite a while. I guess I'd like to say thank you, for that."

Despite all the stress, Brittany found herself smiling. "That sounds good. Tell him I hope he's well. And that I'm still sorry."

"I will," she said, "and I'll dig out that friend's phone number."

"Thanks," Brittany said, sighing with relief. She paused, before speaking out again. "I lost Sam's… Could you give it again?"

"Certainly."

It didn't take long for Brittany to note down both Sam's and Isaac's phone numbers, the latter being relayed on to Karen and Madge. The arctic hare phoned him up, and soon she was relaying what she needed to him, the sheep agreeing to help out.

Back in the car, the mood was good.

"Seems like we all know the right mammals," Nick said.

"Yes," Madge agreed, an air of harshness in her voice. "About that, Wilde…"

"Do we know anyone working with the city electrical grid?"

There was a groan and a face palm from Madge and, before she could speak up, Karen did so. "We've been in contact with the police chief. While he's being ordered to keep things calm and assist the mayor, he's been trying to feed us as much information as he can." There was a pause. "It won't be long before he has to join the new order, or resign in protest, letting someone loyal be put in. But, for now, he and a number of other volunteers from the services will be assisting us. They won't be able to go against these mammals, but in things like this, information is key. A rather important piece has just been sent to me now."

"Yes?" Judy asked.

"A report from a few officers in Tundra Town. A secure industrial estate was seized by the attackers, the only other place they've been spotted apart from the ZED. It contains the access point to one of the main heat exchange plants in the climate works."

"And I'll bet you that's where our meteor is!" Jeb shouted out.

"It contains the major secondary chiller for tundratown, the primary being the climate wall itself," the hare explained. "It also acts as a major cooling station for the nocturnal district as well, the waste heat being sent to the rainforest. By itself, it doesn't use enough energy to cause the climate outage, but the main power lines to the rest of the rainforest works pass through it. They likely shut down the switching gear, fitted their device up, and turned it all back on again."

"So, we attack there," Skye asked, looking at Nick. "Get it off for a second, then Nick and I can deal with the rest."

Nick shook his head. "No. Karen was right about this being a chain. That place will be swarming with guards. Couldn't we pull down the power lines? Cut them off?"

"All underground I'm afraid," she said, over the phone. "But… -I'll have to look into the dam controls themselves. Maybe turning down the turbines, or attacking the transformers there, cutting it off at the source. We could sift through Furbook. See if we can see anyone listed working there or such. I'd expect some defence, but probably less than around the meteor." She sighed. "We need time to work everything out and all."

"We're still a way out from Zootopia," Judy said, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Current speed, bit less than an hour."

"We'll do our best from where we are," the hare promised. "Madge, before you badger Nick again, boot up Furbook or an internet search and start looking through."

"I…" she began to say, only to grumble some more.

"Keep thinking it all through, any idea might be a good one," Karen told them. "But I'm all out for now. It's just a matter of keeping calm and carrying on."

"Agreed," Judy said, nodding her head. She had nothing else to say, and neither did any of her other passengers. The phone remained on, but an uneasy quiet filled the car,

.

.

…

The cars wheels rumbled on the asphalt as they raced along.

.

.

Pushing forwards, in a river of red lights, a fast flowing one of yellow racing past the other way.

.

.

White lines shot under them like arrows, while tall light poles, standing like soldiers, marched past ever frequent.

.

.

Brittany sat in the back again, thinking over and over. Closing her eyes, she tried to seek out the heat, hoping to get a glance at Kinsey, Larry, or the ZED. Just to see if they were okay. That they weren't being harmed. Nothing came up though, and she looked down, a tear dripping down from her eye.

Mammals were there, in danger, because she'd thought it was the better way. She'd encourage Fangmeyer to do it because it would make them safe. She'd run and run for a dream, an idea, and now she'd found that she'd put in place something wrong. Something rotten. Something…

She shook her head.

She wasn't at fault for this, she knew it. No-one could have seen this coming, no-one could have guessed that such a threat would fall on the ZED. She tried to remember whether the phrase force majeure was the correct word to use for something like this. She'd been a bit unsure about its exact meaning, and she didn't know. What she did know was that she wasn't the cause of this danger…

But she'd still pushed mammals into its path.

She felt rotten and wished it would all just go away. That she could run, and this mess would be over. That she could ignore it, and everyone would be safe. But that wasn't the case she realised. Bogo's words were echoing in her mind, she had to face the results of her actions, though she wished that she had a strong father figure to stand by her through this. She knew what she had to do, however much it scared her.

She just had to tell the others.

Thinking about how to do it, she looked around at them. At the stranger, Jeb. At Skye and Nick, up front. At Judy. At…

She almost flinched with fright when she looked to her right, the giant deer just sitting there. He was the largest mammal in the car by far, yet he had the least presence. He was just silent, staring down with eyes glazed over. Looking over at him, she saw his hooves trembling slightly, and looking up she saw the vacant expression in his face and remembered.

A pang of empathy shot through her and, taking off her seatbelt, she leant down to grip his paw. Holding it up, trying to rub some comfort into it. "Edmund, was it?"

He shook a little from the touch, his eyes snapping out of their trance and looking at her. Their eyes met only for a second though before he looked away. She gulped, looking away also, before speaking out. "I've done it too, you know?"

"Done what?" he said, his voice little more than a whisper. Up ahead, Nick and Skye glanced back at him. Judy, her eyes on the road, tilted her ears to listen in. Jeb Piper looked up at his business partner, not sure what exactly was going on.

"For a long time, Skye was a cripple," she said, carrying on slowly. "I never saw what her body was like, I was always too young, and there was this worry that my powers would act up if I saw her. I always hated mammals judging me for my power control problems, or trying to limit my chances to practice with them, get them under control. Mammals always kept things from me, because they thought it the best, and so many times it came back to bite me so hard in my tail… Who hurt Skye was almost one of those things. You can ask Nick about that… But her state itself… -It wasn't that long ago when I saw her body for the first time in person. She can astral project, so I saw this ghost of her for almost ten years, and she was pretty and caring… And then I saw the broken ruin that some mammal had turned her into… I… -I vowed to kill him, burn him, and Skye made me promise not to. To not pursue blind vengeance, but I still hated that mammal… I learnt that his name was Jack Savage, and he was a bunny who'd been semi-raised at the ZED, told all about his powers and went rogue. The whole issue I had with my powers and other mammals holding back? So much of that… So much came from mammals being scared another Jack would happen again…"

...

"He caused so much suffering, and when he attacked us and I was caught in a battle I wasn't supposed to be in, he talked about how he would be fine in killing me… All my friends… All my family… So many innocents… He was the purest evil I can imagine, and picture, and he still haunts some of my dreams to this very day. He was about to murder me, I was stuck in a corner with no escape from it, and you'd think… You'd think… You'd think that if you got to him first, if you ended him there personally, killing him before he killed you, that you'd feel fine. It was you or him. He forced that decision on you, and you can tell yourself that, and it'll be okay. But it doesn't work like that, does it?"

She sniffed, tears dripping from her muzzle, as she held the older deer's hoof tight. "You took a life. Lives. I did too. So did Nick. Mammals that were evil or forced our paw, and we shouldn't feel bad about it yet we do. We've all done something… something that can't be reversed. That can't be undone. And thinking… thinking about that, maybe we should all feel bad about it. Feel nasty and horrible, because what happens if we don't? What happens if we don't and… and… we then feel okay doing it again. So… So… Feeling like this, yeah, that's normal. It's gonna happen. But… But sit tight and push through. We're going to get through to the other side and… and… -nothing will ever be the same again, and that feeling won't all go away, but you don't want it all to go away. It'll always be there, just a little warning seed at the back. But… But don't let it grow, you can keep it small and yourself in control as…. As… Just remember who forced who's paw. Who was holding friends and family hostage. Remember who was using their gun, or powers, to make mammals suffer and who was the one that just wanted to let them free, okay? Just remember that they gave you no choice… You had to do it. It was on them. It's on us too, it always will be. But they're the ones who made this happen, and gave you no choice."

She held his hoof tight and looked up to him again, and he managed to look down, their eyes meeting. His mouth moved about a little before he spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "Thankyou."

She sniffed a bit, managing to crack a smile. "That's what we do at the ZED."

"Edmund?" a voice from the front spoke out. It was Nick. He didn't look at the deer, instead gazing out of the window at the passing lights, not really looking at anyone. "It's like a shock at first, I know…. I should be dead, but my powers saved me, and I took out the one who did it by accident before I knew what I was doing… Before she could kill more of my friends, like she'd been doing… You can burrow down and think about 'if's' and 'what's' and all sorts. About all that moral stuff, trying to find an answer. But you just stare into a void, and that void stares back at you and pulls you in. You're never going to win. It is. The only ones who do win…. Well those kinds of mammals are the ones who forced us into this mess at the start. Just ask yourself, did you have any other choice other than fighting as you did? If you wanted to stop all the pain and harm or danger, did you have any other choice? If not, then remember that and forget the rest. You had no choice. Your paw was forced… Know that, and leave the void alone."

Edmund closed his eyes, breathed in, and breathed out. "Okay," he whispered. "I'll… I'll try…"

"It'll take some time," Nick said.

"I could guess."

"If you want to leave this, be safe, rather than being here and scared, then just say and you can go," Brittany said. "You… You've been a hero already. It's… it's your choice. Always has been always will be."

There was a slight cough. "I don't really think much about staying here, with you." He said. "Don't really think much about anything else, either. But I think I feel safer here. With you…"

"You sure?" Jeb asked.

"I'm sure," he agreed. "It's about the only thing I can say that for."

.

.

.

The car was quiet again.

.

.

Brittany held his hoof.

.

.

Jeb, though only a business partner, went over to hold the other.

.

.

Edmund stayed quiet and unemotive throughout. It was just him and his thoughts. The others knew not to interrupt though.

.

.

.

Karen came in over the phone. "I've just got confirmation over the phone," she said. "No attack took place at the dam itself. The control centre and the turbine halls would just have the existing crews and guards there. They're not cutting the power, being in the same pickle the police are in, but the head guard said that if you can make it there, he'll be willing to join the resistance."

"Shut down the power when he knows Skye and I are ready to disable the field permanently," Nick said.

Judy looked at him, a sceptical look on her face."I could be helpful too. Geyser spiral the surrounding equipment," she pointed out.

"You could," Nick agreed. "You're also much easier to hit with a bullet, and it'll be more than just sting," he said, looking over at her and smiling. "I'd never stop you from joining in. Just… -being practical, that's all." He looked down, his ears folding back a little. "I don't mean it personally or anything… I hope you don't take it like that."

She scoffed a little, a little grin on her face. "Sounds like you have feelings for me, interesting."

"Despite all that was between us," he said, smiling. "I'm a forgiving fox. And you're my friend. I think my friends here have already been hurt too much, I… -I want us all to come out the other side of this."

"I'll keep myself safe," Judy said. "And do my part. We all can."

"We all have to," Brittany said. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in, and out. "And I… I have to do something too."

"Bree?" Skye asked, looking back.

"There are mammals in the ZED being held hostage, and they wouldn't be there if it weren't for me."

"Brittany," Judy gasped slightly. "You're not to blame… You're not!"

"I know," she said firmly. "But I still have some responsibility. I… I made a promise to not run away from these kinds of things to Bogo. A promise to learn from my mistakes and… and I need to do that."

"That's what we're doing," Judy said. "We're gonna fix this!"

"There's still the forces at the ZED," Brittany said. "And… and my sister was there on a sleepover, and is now scared and a prisoner. There's Larry too… And the families who trusted me, and us, when we let them into the ZED, saying it would be safe." She closed her eyes, taking a steadying breath. "I need to be there, with them."

"Bree!" Skye gasped. "You can't!"

"I need to," she said. "Besides, once the fields go down, we need someone there to help everyone out, don't we? To help deal with the guards and… and to be ready to keep the families away from harm."

A voice spoke up from the phone. Madge. "It does make sense. There are guards around the students, families, and general staff. Not many, but enough. But an empowered who knows what they're doing… It could help."

Skye, in the car, shook her head. "No, It's…" She paused though, trailing off, before looking back at Brittany. A tear flowed down the cream coloured vixen's face, and she took a deep breath in. "Okay… It's… it's your choice, and I'll respect that. But promise me you'll be safe. Promise me I'll still have my sister."

"I promise," Brittany said, feeling the need to cry again.

"Are you sure you'll be okay in a fight," Judy asked. "Given what you might have to do? Given what they might try to do?"

Closing her eyes, she nodded. "I'm scared. I'm super scared thinking about it, but… But I need to face this, not run away. I'll try my best not to kill anyone but… but if they force me, I… -guess I can do it." She paused, looking down, her paws beginning to shake. "Don't feel I could do it now, but I do know I can… From the restaurant… If they push me hard enough, I can fight back. I don't like it… I hate it… I'll try everything I can not to do it… But that's the truth… And those families are more important than my conscious…"

There was a slight coughing. Edmund. "The choice you gave me… It's open for you. Always."

Nick spoke too. "He's right. You can go to the rest of your family, or be with us three, we'll never think of you any less. You have nothing to prove."

"Thanks," she said. "And I don't. But I have responsibilities I need to face, things I can't run away from, and mammals who need me."

Madge coughed slightly, before speaking up. "If you're going to spy and infiltrate, maybe try picking up some supplies from my sister. She made these hidden earpiece communicators, though we'd also need to agree on a general plan and some signals…. Nick can take you to her house… _Somehow_ , he knows where that is."

"Of course I do," Nick shrugged. "Can't lose my futon!"

There was a bit grumble from the honey badger as he carried on.

"Also, she has some spare clothes of mine you could use. Defeats the purpose if you turn up in your ZED clothes."

Brittany nodded, while a separate murmur came from the other side of the phone. Karen. "How long left?"

"We're pushing a bit over the limit," Judy said. "So, half an hour."

"We don't want to go super-fast and draw attention to ourselves," Nick said.

"Or crash," Brittany added.

"Right," she said. "As I'm just downloading the new program that Brittany's friend developed. "Bogo? Are you okay?"

Over in the ZED, she checked a different phone and confirmed as much. He was still a bit intoxicated, over the limit for sure, but it would take too long for too little benefit to really wait over. "He's ready to make the attack when we are," she told the car crew. "But even if he fails, you getting with the dam crew and shutting this down should still win this. I do believe that we'll be victorious."

"I sure hope so," Nick agreed. All the empowered in the car felt likewise. Judy was about to speak, only to freeze as she saw the central phone begin to ring.

"We've got a second caller coming in," the bunny said, before pausing. "Mind if we switch over?"

"No," Karen replied. "Talk to you soon."

"Likewise," the bunny replied, before giving Skye a look. The cream coloured vixen stepped over to switch to the new caller.

"Ah!" the new voice spoke up, sending a chill down everyone's spine. "Are you the rogue enforcers?"

Judy's teeth gritted, while Brittany let out a growl. It was Nick, though, who spoke. "Maybe it is? What is it to you, Bellwether?"


	34. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33.**

.

Back in the ZED, Karen tensely looked on as she downloaded the software she'd just been sent. The code weaver who'd produced it for her had done the best he could, given the enormous time constraints. They weren't sure that giving him direct access to the ZED mainframe would be possible, or whether or not the field generator would disrupt his powers. So, instead, he'd produced a bit of software design to set itself up and then learn the contours and geometry of the building it was controlling.

For a normal mammal, such a creation would be a masterstroke.

For him though, it was as easy as any other.

The download completed and she opened it up, grumbling a bit as she saw a pop up about a forty-day free trial (which, it strongly assured, really would run out). A prompt appeared and, loading in all the schematics she could find, Karen set it to work. A large page came up, showing the layout of the various floors, while camera points began appearing on them. Many couldn't find where they were, but the arctic hare was able to drag and drop them into their proper place, sighing relief as it was finally complete.

She had an overview of where every camera in the building was. A few seconds later, and red points began appearing. The various patrolling mercs. A look in the gym building, and she saw a whole host of red spots, which she quickly changed to blue. A look over to where the enforcers themselves were being kept, and she put them to yellow. Then it was back over to the corridor outside of Bogo's room. A merc was wandering past and around, and she watched him vanish from the camera, turning back to the overview as he did so. His dot began blinking, while an orange field appeared, filling up a few areas of the corridors, signalling that he could be anywhere in this blindspot.

But he wasn't outside of Bogo's room.

"Bogo. Mind stepping outside?" she asked into her phone. The cape buffalo, hearing it on his earpiece, did just that, letting her set his marker on the program to a gold star. "Good. How are you feeling?"

"Better," he said. "Still mildly intoxicated, but it shouldn't be so much that I do anything stupid."

"Good," she replied, letting out a tense breath of air. She scanned the various cameras near him, slowly but surely trying to work out the best way to proceed. The first leg of the journey stood out to her. "Right. We're going to get you to a nearby broom closet. That sound okay?"

"Right," he agreed, before setting off.

Karen kept on looking and looking at her cameras, her breath often held as a merc would walk forwards, only to turn away. All through it, she gave little commands to Bogo. Move forwards, turn left, go right, make sure you were quiet. Her heart was beating fast and hard as he finally made it to the first safe haven. She watched as he opened the door, slipped himself in, and vanished.

"All good?" he asked.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she nodded. "Yes. It's good…"

"Fair enough," he replied. "Though it is crowded in here, especially with the weapons I now have. What's the plan now?"

Karen paused, carrying on her search through the schematics. "We could try the roof," she pondered. "If you get up there, crawl over to the access near our stairwell, then go down…"

"Sounds good."

"Yes, but…" she began, before turning to an outdoor camera. She groaned as she saw a small contingent on the highest roof in the compound. "There are mammals who'd be able to see you. It's not clear if they have live rounds, but I wouldn't want to risk it."

"I would be able to," Bogo said, firmly. "Don't you worry about me."

"I'll worry about you, and the mission," Karen replied sternly, as she sifted through, looking for the next path along. "Okay. There's a long corridor that will take you close to some of the classrooms. Two floors above, admittedly, though there's a staircase. Hiding in there as a stopover is a safe bet…"

"Okay," he said, nodding. "Which way?"

There was a pause, and then a sigh. "One of the fire doors is guarded. Just one mammal, but you'll have to go through him."

"Which way?" he asked again, holding his weapon tighter.

"Step out, turn right," she directed. "But be quiet. He's on the other side, so you'll have to sneak up on him."

"Understood."

Out he went, his body tense as he was guided through the empty corridors. Once more, both his and her hearts were drumming hard in their chest. Eyes and ears were pricked, looking over for any sign of an attacking guard.

Karen watched as he entered a large blindspot, before glancing down and stiffening with fear. Two mammals were approaching his location. Both armed heavily. Both heading towards him.

"Bogo! Two mammals coming in from your left! Fast."

"Where should I go?"

"Where are you?"

"Well, I'm…"

A roaring staccato of gunfire broke through the speaking, Karen gasping in horror.

.

…

Elsewhere in the building, one of the armed mammals heard it and went to investigate. Holding his gun tight, pointing it in front of him, he held his back to the wall as he gave a sitrep. Support would be coming, but he'd be checking it out first.

A number of his comrades had vanished from the radio channels. He knew that someone was still out there, causing havoc. He might as well catch him now, rather than giving him a chance to escape.

He leaned around the corner, flicking back in by instinct even though it seemed all clear. A second lean around, this time more to observe.

Nothing.

On he walked. His radio chirped, and he answered it. The reinforcements were close now. Putting it away, he relaxed somewhat, before freezing in shock.

There, just peeking out of a room, were two feet. A glance around, and he walked over to them. Two of his brothers in arms, tranquilised out on the floor.

He never heard or saw the cape buffalo, stepping out of a closet behind him.

He felt a brief prick in the back of his neck, and then it all went silent.

.

Karen felt like she'd turned to goop with relief as she saw Bogo emerge from the blind spot. She knew he'd be okay, and they'd worked together to plan the defeat of the third mammal, but seeing was believing.

"All hidden away?"

"Behind a closed door," he replied.

"Good," she said. "Now…" She bit her lip when she saw a small squad entering the building near him. "Big group coming your way! Run! Get past the stairs and hide, hopefully they'll go the other way!"

He nodded and charged. Hooves pounded on the floor as he raced through the familiar corridors, all of them passing in a blur. His shield in front of him, his gun pointing forwards, he saw a sheep merc step out in front of him and doubled down. Before he could even react, he was sandwiched between a shield and a wall, before crumpling into a broken heap on the floor. "You didn't warn me about a sheep there," he scolded.

"Sheep, I…" she said. "You're in a blind spot. He was likely there this whole time, I can't see every mammal Bogo. We don't have that kind of coverage."

"Acknowledge," he said, as his eyes widened. Another mammal, a boar that was much further ahead and raising a gun already. Bogo raised his shield, before throwing himself around a corner. He hissed as he felt his fingers bruise from an impact on the thing and, looking at it for a second, he realised that live ammunition had been used.

His teeth were gritted, his fingers grinding in anger, and so he pulled out an assault rifle loaded with tranquilising rounds, stolen from one of the attackers, and pointed it around the corner, letting loose. He sprayed until the entire magazine was empty before, his shield out to provide some defence, he looked. The boar was trying to hide himself in an alcove, but he'd been grazed and was slowly slumping down as the tranquilisers took effect. Bogo ducked back behind cover, reloaded, and then with gun and shield jumped out. This time, most of the spray hit its target, and the target went silent.

"You're going to have to hurry!" Karen shouted over his earpiece. She began hyperventilating as she watched the oncoming wave. "They're about to reach the bottom of the stairs."

Bogo nodded and raced forwards. He could see the stair and lift core up ahead of him.

"Okay, if you go past you… -CRAP!"

"What?"

"Another squad on your floor. They're going to pincer you!"

"I'm armed!"

"You're outnumbered."

He grit his teeth. He knew she was right. He looked around, before his eyes widened. He halted, right at the top of the stairs, and then pressed the lift button.

It opened, he pressed down, and the door closed just as the advancing squad came into view. Marching to the top of the stairs, they fanned out, pausing as they saw the other squad turn up.

"Lot of firing from that way," one of them said. The rest nodded and followed, none bothering to look at the lift floor indicator as it slowly ticked down.

Karen had smiled greatly when she saw his mad ploy work, but that grin faded as she checked the bottom of the lift. Two mammals were there, waiting. "It's not over yet," she warned.

As he caught his breath, Bogo huffed out. "I could guess."

.

After seeing the rest of their group go up, the two guards at the bottom, one a tiger and the other a horse, waited about. The former stood with his back against the lift doors, scanning about in front of him for anything out of place.

A ding sounded out, he heard doors opening behind him, and before he could react two arms came out and dragged him back in. There was the sound of some tranquiliser rounds being fired into him, which caught the attention of his partner. Shocked, surprised, he fumbled slightly as he raised his weapon and got a barrage of hits as a result.

Bogo stepped out, making sure to pull the pair back inside, before looking around. "All clear," he said.

"For now," she warned, scanning around as she did so. Her eyes closed in frustration as she saw a small team made up of hippos and rhinos and other megafauna patrolling around. They were both worryingly close to him and in his way. "Mind going in a broom closet again?"

"Yes, but I can manage," he said, as he gave his gear a quick check. He nodded as instructions were given, and he walked forwards, eventually finding the place in question. In he went, closing the door, and sighing with relief. He stepped back, only for his ears to rise as he heard something very, very odd.

Turning around, his eyes widened as he saw two attackers, a bear and an okapi, making out. Both were kissing each other, oblivious to him, and he couldn't help but groan as he pulled out a pair of tranq pistols, aiming it at both of them. "Love birds!?"

They both froze, their eyes turning to face him but their lips still in contact.

"Did a white wolf have anything to do with this?"

They both nodded slightly, before receiving darts in their arms. They fell into a medicated slumber quickly, as the Cape Buffalo pressed his finger in his ear and spoke. "Karen? Is Enforcer Fanghanel among the captured?" he asked, remembering a certain mammal with one of the most unusual, though oddly effective, powers out there.

"I…" she began. "He appears to still be loose."

Bogo chuckled. "Loose and making use of himself," he replied, before rolling his eyes. "Even without his powers, he's still _that_ wolf..."

.

.

.

While Bogo battled his way across the ZED, a battle of words was taking place far away. In a car, relentlessly approaching the city that it had come from, bringing a certain group of mammals back home. A home that was under the control of a certain ewe.

"What do I want?" she asked, over the phone. "I want to talk. That's all. Talk."

"I thought your style was more of the violent kind," Nick barked angrily. He glanced over to Judy, the bunny chewing her lower lip before letting it out.

"You're not going to get away with this! You're not, I promise you!"

"Why?" she asked, defensively. "What do you think you can do? Your powers are gone. What do you have left?"

Nick listened on, a worried feeling growing in his mind, as Judy retorted. "We've got each other. We've got the support of the city! The mammals…"

"-Do you, really?" she asked again, before sighing. "Mammals are tired, enforcer Hopps. Aren't you too? So many violent and criminal empowered, racing around and making life unbearable. Don't you think they'll all want a clean break?"

"If they wanted that, why didn't you make it a campaign promise?" she asked, her nose twitching angrily. "Put it out into the open. You're going to end the empowered. If mammals really supported you, you'd have nothing to fear."

There was a sigh, and all the mammals in attendance could picture her shaking her head. "Judy… Judy… Judy… Of course I had something to fear! Just one angry empowered. Just one, who didn't want to be equal, could kill me. Even without that, do you really think the ZED would let it happen?" She paused, before clearing her throat. "Is Nick Wilde in there?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"So, you know what the ZED are willing to do to protect their own," she said calmly. "You know more than any other mammal…"

He sighed, shaking his head. "I also know that it was one idiot Cape Buffalo behind it. I also know that I sort of helped to dig my own hole… I accept that, Dawn. I accept that without doing massive government takeovers."

"What does it matter anyway?" Judy barbed, shouting out. "Mammals won't support you!"

"But will they support you?"

.

…

A quiet filled the car, as the various empowered looked at each other. Skye then spoke. "They'll see that what you did is wrong. That we're in the right…"

"Will they be willing to fight for you?"

"I…" she began, before breathing in and out. "Many are," she said, rising up. Judy nodded along, while Nick paused, his eyes widening.

"Really, honestly?"

"Yeah!" Judy replied. "We've got…"

"-The fire service," Nick shot out. The others looked at him, confused, as he grabbed a notepad and pen and began writing down. "We've also got the coast guard too. Several hospitals have given us their support. We're trending on social media, and if you think you can get away with this, you're in for a very rude awakening Dawn!"

Finishing his writing, he held his little paper pad up for the others to see. 'She's trying to hustle us! Don't let her! Hustle her instead!'

Judy, Skye, Brittany and the others nodded, as the ewe carried on speaking. "Hmmm… Nothing I would really fear, to be honest," she said. "Is that really the best you got?"

"How about a whole bunch of mammals who's homes I saved from a forest fire," Brittany shouted. "They and the fire service agreed to come over the border and kick your tail, you hear!?" She closed her mouth and eyes, before taking a few calming breaths. As always, it felt just that little odd that she wasn't having to pull in her powers in the background. "What even is it with you, huh? With the empowered? What do you have against us?"

"I have the mammals murdered by rogue empowered," she said. "I have the fact that we have to live in fear. Wasn't the whole point of Zootopia that pred and prey lived in harmony, neither above the other? Instead, we have a new top class, and if they turn on you then there's nothing you can do. Nothing. No mammals deserve to live like that. Why should they? Please, ask me honestly, why should we just accept this burden?"

"So, you just hate us empowered then," Brittany scolded.

"I… -No," she said, frankly. "I don't hate the empowered, as a people. I pity them."

"Pi…!" she exclaimed, too shocked to even finish her sentence. She wasn't the only one surprised. Judy coughed a few times from the shock, while Skye's mouth hung open.

"I understand that that might seem odd at the moment," the Ewe explained. "But I do."

"Why would you pity us?" Judy asked.

"Yeah," Skye added. "Why?"

…

"Surely you'd know better than anyone, Skye Autumn."

The vixen shivered as her full name was spelled out, holding an almost morbid curiosity for what was coming next. She cringed though, wrapping her paws around herself, as she realised. She remembered. She felt, even as Nick put his arms around her to comfort her.

"A decade," she said. "A decade bedbound, because a rogue enforcer decided that he could. A decade a cripple. A decade…"

"-Where I could still fly out of my body and meet my friends, thanks to my astral projection," she said, looking up defiantly. "My flight didn't do that to me, while my other powers gave me a reason to live…"

"But would you have ever been there if it wasn't for his powers?" she asked.

"You can't judge us all by Jack," Nick said. "Same goes for me. I'd expect a 'think how your life would be without your powers' speech, but I don't care. I got screwed over by Jack, I screwed myself over. I accept that. But it just proves that Jack Savage was a terrible mammal. So what? You can't say you pity us just because of his actions. Who else suffered from their powers, huh? Who else?"

…

"Many," Dawn said. She paused, before carrying on again. "Judy, Skye, I'm sure you're aware of a certain student in the ZED. One who, from what I gather, has suffered with power control problems all her life. Who made her family homeless at the age of eight. Whose problems still carry on, even after she became an assistor, who…"

"You talking about me?" Brittany asked. She'd tried to hold it in, but couldn't anymore. She just couldn't.

"So that's you, Brittany Voxen."

"Yeah," she huffed. "It's me! And don't you dare tell me that you pity me!"

"But I…"

"If you pitied me, why did you sue my parents!?" she shouted. She just couldn't let her get away with it anymore, not after all she'd done. "Why did you drag them away from me when they needed to be getting used to me again! Healing their fears! Why did you keep up the talk that I was a danger, a monster, making them more nervous about me! You drove them apart from me! If it weren't for you, we might have been spending time back at home, as a family! Recovering…" She paused, taking a deep breath in and out, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "My father might not have been so scared when he learned about my sister! He might not have been so scared that he couldn't tell me! Didn't keep her a secret for years! Didn't have to… have to… have to visit me less and less! That almost destroyed my family, you hear! You stopped us healing, all because you wanted to say terrible thing after terrible thing about me, a mammal you hadn't even met. Who you didn't even know! Just because I was empowered! SO DON'T SAY YOU PITY ME!"

.

…

Nick stared at her, blinking a few times. The phone was quiet, before Bellwether spoke again, sounding confused. Even empathetic. "Your family did what…?"

"My accident traumatised my father," she said. "Your dumb court case, that you didn't even win, dragged him away from me when he could have been working on that. Maybe if you hadn't of existed, he wouldn't have had nightmares about what happened when he told me… He could have told me, and I could have had a more normal life, and… and…"

"Miss Voxen," Dawn said. "I'm not going to comment on your family life, or your family. I didn't know you went through all that, though. But surely it proves my point? You were robbed of so much, due to those powers of yours. Powers you didn't ask for. Powers that you couldn't control…"

"It would help if you didn't rub that in on national TV!" she scolded, her teeth bared.

There was a pause. "I was trying to be fair and balanced there…"

"Gah…! Really!?"

"It's unlikely you'll believe that," she said. "It's unlikely that you'll believe that your parents actions would be the same if I didn't exist. I'd disagree with both those points, but I won't argue. I will argue, though, about this. You suffered because of your powers. Your life was torn apart by them, upended, and whatever way you say it, it nearly destroyed your family. You asked me why I'd pity you, well there's why. But I'm changing it. I'm changing it for everyone. Don't you see? No-one has to suffer like you again. No other mammal. No other child has to go through what you did! Don't you want that?"

"I do…" she said, before shaking her head. "Which is why I reformed the ZED. Which is why I looked at how they treat child students, rather than attacking mammals and stealing all the powers!"

"But that just improves the treatment, surely?" she asked. "It's not a cure. I'm going after the disease. Tell me, after all you suffered, why shouldn't I?"

.

…

Taking a deep breath in, Brittany looked down at my paws. "I've loved my powers," she said. "I've hated them. They've haunted me. They've saved me. They are me." Her fists clenched as she looked up. "I learned that I need to embrace them. You can't go running and hiding part of you, it's wrong. You have to live it. Use it. It's part of me, and I can use it for good the way I want to. I have been using it for good! I saved the ZED with them. I saved entire towns with them. I saved innocent mammals with them! I suffered for years before I could get this chance, and I won't let you make it all be in vain, you hear? You hear me!? I've earned these powers! I'm not going to make everything I've been through be pointless! Worthless! All that suffering for nothing! Never, ever, EVER!"

She finished shouting it out and her muzzle turned down, as she took some heavy breaths in to calm herself. She was trembling, shaking, and it took a hug from Skye to help her. Her ears perked, though, as Dawn spoke again.

"That's another reason why I knew empowered wouldn't stand for this."

"What is?" Skye asked, defensively.

"I realised it long ago," Dawn said. "These powers. They take hold of mammals. They can drive some to villainy or insanity. Many others suffer because of them. They could take a break, and be free and happy like most other mammals want to be, but they don't. No matter how much they've hurt them, the empowered cling on to their powers and never let go. Why? Why, why, why? It took me a while to figure it out."

"Figure what out?" Judy asked.

"Those powers are like a drug addiction," she said. "The empowered are like addicted mammals. Oh, they know that the drugs cause them to suffer. They compare what they were before, to what they are now, it's like night and day. It gets hold of you, redefines your life, with everything going to serve it. Nothing can sway them. Nothing can move them. They'll hold on when they're on the verge of death or penniless and broke and nothing, nothing, can ever let them let go of what sent them there… Again, I pity that. But I want you to know. I want you all to know that I'm here to help. It may not seem like that yet. It may never do. But my plan will make you all go cold turkey. The veil that's ruled your life will take a time to lift. It may never go completely. But you'll be able to look out clearer in the future. Clearer and brighter and, looking back, you'll then understand that quitting them was worth it, and everything is so much better. I promise you. I'm here to help."

.

.

…

"What part of trying to help involved burn innocent children?" Brittany asked, looking up, a snarl on her muzzle.

…

There was a sigh. "I could guess that would come up. I don't expect you to believe me when I say that I had nothing to do with it."

"No, I don't!" Brittany scolded. "Not when I've seen pictures of you with the ringleader. Your evil wildebeest friend!"

"Demrir…" she gasped. "I…"

"Don't deny it!" Brittany pressed. "What's his problem anyway?"

There was a few chokes and other sounds, as if she was trying to find her words. "Mr. Tohnak grew up in Pawasia minor," she said, rapidly, as she recovered. "Where he saw all hell break loose because of a group of empowered mammals. Mammals now lauded as heroes." There was a pause, a sigh. "We both had a joint interest in stopping the empowered, and he's been a critical funder for and helper with my plans," she said. "Many of the things he's said are extreme, far too much for my liking! But I used what I had access to and never ordered or wanted him to do that! If he really did do it, he did it by himself. He was always brash, independent, vengeful." She paused, taking a breather, before carrying on again. "Maybe he learned that Nick, pardoned of all his crimes like those who brought war to his old home, was there and wanted some sick revenge. I don't know. What I do know though is that I'll investigate. Properly. If he really did do that, it was of his own volition, and I swear he'll pay!"

"Seriously?" Judy asked. "You expect us to believe that he decided to go out and cause all this without your input?"

"From what I gather, those who were captured had mainly been thrown out of the mercenary companies," she said. "Why would I do this attack? What purpose did it serve my plan? If I'd have sanctioned it, surely they'd of used all their gear and military weapons? I'd have been able to cover it up. Instead… instead he must have found another group wanting to make you lot suffer and, not content with my plan of equalising everyone, joined in."

There was a pause.

A sigh.

"I don't expect you to believe me when I say this, but I'll say it again. I had nothing to do with that attack. It was mammals, some of whom I trusted, who chose to do it of their own violation. Again, I expect you won't believe me on that."

"No," Brittany said.

"Me neither," Judy added.

Nick wrote something down on his pad while he spoke out. "Not in a million years."

The others then looked at what he'd written. ' _Don't hate me, I actually do. Not going to say that though!'_

Skye nodded at Nick, pointing at his sign. "Make that four."

"Very well," Dawn said, almost reluctantly. "I'm not sure what else can be said."

"Just that we'll keep on fighting," Judy said defiantly.

"So will I," she said.

"But we'll win," the bunny said. "We've got a good reason to fight to the bitter end, and fight we will."

There was a pause.

"The same can be said about me. May the best mammal win."

"We will," Judy said.

"Yes," Nick agreed, before breathing out. "And I'm sorry."

…

All faces in the car were turned to him as the phone spoke again. "Sorry?"

Nick sighed. "For the pain that an empowered mammal put you through. I'm sorry that you suffered so much."

…

"Thank you. I think you get why I won't be backing down."

"I see that," he said. "I disagree with it. Let the best mammal win."

"Agreed," she said, with a sigh. "I'd like to speak to you all after so… I guess, stay safe."

Nick snorted, while Skye went over to press the button to hang up, doing so and then returning back to her seat. An unsettling stillness took over the vehicle, none of the occupants willing to talk.

All just thinking about what had been said. What it meant.

.

…

"The good news," Nick began, "Is that I don't think we told her anything too big. May have even misdirected her a bit. Hopefully…" He sighed, before glancing into the back. "She knows where you are now," he said to Brittany. "Though given how messed up all that was, I guess I can't blame you for speaking out."

"Heh…" she chuckled, shaking her head. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome," he said. "Though we didn't get much from her."

"You know," Brittany said, a smile growing on her face. "Thanks to me, we did get one thing…"

Nick's eyes widened. "Yes! That guy's name…. What was it, uhhh… Demirir Tohnak!" he exclaimed, before grabbing out his phone. "Consider yourself not only forgiven but now well congratulated, Lil' Sorceress," he added, as he opened up an internet browser. He quickly typed it in and searching, before pausing and then laughing.

Hard.

"What it is?" Skye asked.

"You're going to love this," Nick replied. "Head of the Rhinoheart mercenary company. One of the ones Lionheart brought in, after his suggestion of setting up an official military was downgraded by our Ewe of Doom, and the one who caused the most trouble, the impact of which got him out and her in, and is now likely holding the ZED!"

Judy gasped. "She…."

"I'd call her an honorary fox," Nick continued, before whistling. "She is good."

Skye nodded. "Most of their issues were attacks against some empowered. He filled it with mammals with his leanings but struggled to keep them under control."

"Maybe encouraged them to act out?" Judy asked.

"Maybe a bit of both," Nick said. "Again, I actually think that the whole attack was just some of these idiots getting fed up of waiting or something. For something so well planned as Dawn's gambit, it makes no sense. It's just that she was playing with fire, and… -well…"

The others nodded. "He may have doomed them though," Brittany said. "No attack, I'd never have recognised him. Chances are, I might not have flown out, and you'd still be locked up."

Skye nodded. "We still have a long way to go."

"And a harder way," Judy added, her ears perking up a little.

The cream coloured vixen looked up at her. "How come?"

Nick looked on too, before his eyes widened. "Oh, that was good! Double points Lil' Sorceress."

"I…" Brittany began, confused.

"Guess who's guarding the dam and power houses?" Judy asked.

"Rhinoheart!" she exclaimed.

Nick nodded. "Were it not for you being able to hustle that info out of her, we'd have gone straight into them." He paused, before looking back out in front. "Still. We need a new plan. We need mammals to help us, and we don't have much time."

The others nodded. Skye punched in Madge's mobile number again. Nick told Judy which exit to take to get to the Rainforest District. Brittany and the others tried to think of something. Anything.

Together, they raced forwards, the lights of the city beginning to rise up in the distance.


	35. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34.**

.

.

In the ZED canteen, a group of mercenaries were walking through the kitchen, pulling out pre-made sandwiches and such, before loading them onto a cart.

One of them, a wolf, paused to think for a second or two before turning to his comrade. "Did you ever imagine that we'd be doing this when we signed up?" he asked.

The other, a boar, paused, before shaking his head. "No. I mean, I get that our orders are to hold the ZED, but it still feels wrong holding all those kids' hostage."

"Not hostage," another boar said, coming over with some sandwiches. "We're just keeping them safe until everything's in order and then we can go home." He paused, before shrugging. "I hear that a good few kids get sent here against their will. If anything, we're rescuing them!"

"So wait," the wolf who started it asked. "Are we the good guys?"

"Are the ZED the bad guys?" another asked.

"Listen, a bunch of the superiors are suddenly all about how they 'hate the empowered'," a fourth member of the group, a tough looking mouflon, pointed out. He paused, then sniggered. "Maybe we are the bad guys?"

"Well, we're not shooting those kids, are we?" the wolf defended. "We're just following orders, grabbing them food… It's more that our orders are to take over the ZED, and they happen to have a ton of kids there."

"Which we're taking as hostages."

"Well, maybe only as much as they were hostages before."

One of the boars snorted. "What's so bad about admitting that we're the bad guys," he joked, bringing a chorus of laughter all around.

"-Because we're not!" the wolf defended. "We're… we're just doing our job, as much as the police are doing theirs, or the fire service. We're following orders."

"What if the orders tell us to shoot the kids," the mouflon asked.

"Well, I won't," the wolf said. "Will you guys?"

They shook their heads. "Right then. It's settled. We're the good guys. Following orders. Shutting down the ZED. Letting those kids go back home. Now, let's stop trying to make this any more confusing than it already is! Let's grab some food, for the hungry staff and children, and give it to them." He paused, before looking up into the storage container. He and the others had set their weapons down when they entered the room, ready to lift tons of things here and there. "Do you think we should get them some Choc-Ice's? You know, when I was young and scared…"

He was cut off by one of the boars, a look of horror growing on his face. "Never mind that shit!" he said. "HERE COMES BOGO!"

A crack rang out and the group, looking over to the cafeteria door, saw a large cape buffalo walk in. They never even had a chance to get their weapons.

.

.

At Point Sigma, Karen and Madge were working as hard as they could. The former was co-ordinating Bogo by herself, a stress inducing job given the risks involved. A line of guards was cutting him off from accessing Point Sigma, whether he went inside or out. The outside route seemed to be the best option though, given that it would lead him to a fire escape that led out from the underground testing labs. By a happy chance, Karen had been able to locate and get in contact with Enforcer Fanghanel, the white wolf also escaping the initial capture. He'd snuck down into the labs and opened the door on the inside, and was ready to set a distraction in motion. Draw more of the outside guards away, letting Bogo rush across the courtyard, into the lab where he could seal himself in, and then up the stairs until he was right outside Point Sigma.

She paused though, sparing a glance to the half a dozen mammals still camping outside the door. They'd got their own little chisels and stuff, and were meekly working away at the door hinges. The deadlock meant that a whole lot more work would be required to get in, but that wasn't the issue at paw. The elephant in the room was how Bogo would get past them.

In any case, there was still a lot of fighting to do and, after seeing some of the attackers go into the canteen to collect some food, she'd had an idea. He'd ambush them, gear up with their stuff, while also using some of the cooking alcohol present to make some improvised weapons.

Their use on actual mammals unsettled her, but they didn't have much choice. They were having to get by with what they could beg, borrow and steal, and not much else.

The same could be said for Madge's predicament. After learning about the duplicity of the mammals they'd talked to at the dam, they had to find another way of cutting the power to the main field. She, the mammals in the car and, regrettably, her sister, were all involved. Thankfully, they'd figured something out that might just work. Judy, having come from a burrowing species, had talked long and hard about tunnelling, and also about weak spots that could be found. Honey had then filtered through her files and found just such an opportunity. At the same time, Madge had been trying to gather up any useful allies she could. The police chief, who she hoped was still trustworthy, was directing as many officers who wished to come to their aid as possible to a pre-set destination. Not the one where Judy and her team would meet them, lest Bellwether get any ideas, but a place not that far away.

Joining them were similar groups of mammals from the other emergency services. She didn't know how many exactly, she just hoped it was enough.

Finally, her sister had been preparing bits of equipment for the crew as they returned. Bits and bobs for the older mammals, along with new clothes and a secret communicator device for Brittany. The vet couldn't help but feel nervous about what she was doing. Then again, having no-one with the rest of the civilians and children when the powers returned and all hell broke loose seemed even worse.

She looked over at Karen. "Everything in order?"

"As much as it will be," the hare agreed, looking on. Through the cams, she could see the ex-commander dealing with the interlopers…

.

Bogo took another step back, feeling the table on his back crack and strain. Behind it, pinned up against the wall, were the mercenaries, groaning in pain as they were crushed. To be honest, he thought to himself, he could have just shot them. Then again, he reminded himself, he was still a bit drunk, and this had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Finally releasing them, he picked up their limp forms and took them behind the counter, chucking them into the walk-in fridge and closing the door. He then gathered up their weapons and, after searching through some of the storage areas, found what he was looking for.

Alcohol.

They didn't have much, given the nature of the ZED. In fact, he had more of it back in his room, though they'd only had this idea when they were too far away. Regardless, he grabbed a few of the strongest drinks he could, punched a hole in the top of the lid of each, and stuffed strips of towel into them. He also found a small push-button lighter the chefs used that completed the set up.

Ready, and feeling more confident, Bogo set off again. This time, there'd be no sneaking about. He was going to have to charge through these attackers. He could die…

But he didn't care anymore. Whatever mammals said, this was his home. His place. His family.

They'd come in and attacked it.

If they didn't think he'd defend it, they were terribly, terribly mistaken.

.

.

.

Over in the Rainforest District, an unmarked ZED vehicle was parked outside a non-descript home. Inside, the mammals who'd arrived were enduring its primary resident.

"-And I told them, and I told them, and I told them!" the honey badger exclaimed, as she dug through some bits and pieces. "We're living in the cudspiracy, and we're the resistance! THEY'RE GONNA MAKE A FILM ABOUT THIS!"

"Yes, Honey," Nick replied, relaxing into his chair as she threw him a long line of rope. Some more items arrived, in boxes, which the red fox gladly accepted. The other mammals looked on uncomfortably, Brittany turning to Skye as she did so.

"Okay… I think I understand why Madge doesn't like talking about this…"

"You work with my Sis?" the honey badger asked, as she came over.

"Yes," Skye said. "She's the main vet at the ZED. She…"

"-Yeah, I know!" she carried on before pausing. "Just a sit-rep, she ain't been assimilated yet?"

"Uhhh…"

"-You know," she carried on. "Inducted into the new wool army? Brainwashed. Had her mind scrubbed out with steel wool. All that jazz?"

Brittany cleared her throat slightly. "No. But she does know about Nick staying here, and she's mad."

Honey shrugged. "Won't be when I give her my great explanation."

"Great explanation…?" she began, only to be cut off as Nick laughed.

"You're going to love this," he said, turning to the others.

"He's the one who they set up as they feared him, you see. Because he's the one who'll fulfil the prophecy!"

"Prophecy…?"

"I told you!" Nick said out loud.

"He's the only mammal capable of creating a mass shearing event," she explained. "Permanently and forever defeating their army, at the minute of its greatest power, thus dooming it for all eternity!"

…

"Right…" Brittany began, before shaking her head. The second Honey's back was turned, she looked up at Skye, holding her paw above her head with a finger pointed towards it, tracing a circle.

Skye nodded in agreement, though they both cut it off as the honey badger returned. "Now," she said, looking over at Brittany. "You here can put one of these in your ear," she said, putting a little earpiece in. Brittany felt it burrow down deep and Honey, fiddling about with some controls, turned it on. She then handed over a little ring.

"I've got a super sensitive microphone in there," she said. "You hold that little button with your thumb, a light comes on, and you speak!"

Nodding, Brittany did just that, holding her paw and the ring over her mouth as she did so. "Hello?"

" _Brittany?"_ Madge said, her voice coming in over the radio.

"That's it," she said. "I hear you."

"I hear you too. Still up for the plan?"

She felt nervous, tense, worried, scared…. -no, terrified. While she knew Bogo was battling out there, she wished he was by her side in this. But, despite all that, she nodded her head. "As much as ever."

"Good. Everything's going now. Best of luck."

"You too," Brittany agreed, placing her paw down. She looked to the others, all gearing up, and walked out with them.

"Last chance little sorceress," Nick said, looking down at her. "No shame."

"Thanks," she replied, as her stomach knotted over itself. "But I'll do this."

"Stay safe," Skye said, and they turned to each other and embraced, the two sisters holding onto each other for as long as they could. They were eventually broken off though by a beeping horn.

"I called my agent," Nick said. "He'll take you close to the ZED. Best of luck!"

Brittany looked over to the vehicle in question. It seemed like an old, if not ancient, van, with a rather interesting paint job on the side. But giant gleaming chrome exhaust pipes ran up it, as if it were a small truck, while the hub caps had solid gold spinners attached on each of them. She couldn't see inside of it, given how black the windows had been tinted, but as the door opened her eyes widened at the site of the driver. He was a tiny little fennec fox, in a jet black suit.

"YOUZ BETTER HAVE A GOOD PLAN HERE NICKY BOY!" he shouted. "Diz iz my livelihood we're talkin' 'bout!"

"Just deliver my friend to where she wants while we do our thing. And don't worry, we have a plan."

He nodded. "You better," he said, before smiling. "Youz my biggest asset now, you hear!"

"Loud and clear, big guy, loud and clear," he said, giving a quick salute as he entered his own vehicle.

Brittany watched it drive off, before joining the fennec in his van. The seats were luxurious, even if he sat in a custom made cockpit area on the dashboard. Fiddling about with the controls, he checked everything before setting off.

….

"Hi… My name's Brittany."

"Finnick," he said. "Wazzup?"

She shrugged. "End of the world."

There was a brief chuckle as the small fox's mouth widened into a grin. "Youz been hanging too much around Nicky boy," he said.

They carried on in awkward silence for about another minute until he started laughing.

"What?"

"Just thinking about what other mammals might think of us," he said, before laughing some more.

Brittany couldn't help but think that she preferred the mad honey badger.

.

.

Chief Bogo ran across the small side lobby before planting himself on one of the walls. A flick of his lighter, and he lit a few of his fire grenades just in case before holding his old shield and his new gun tight against him. Every breath in was deep, every breath out was hard enough to send his nostrils flaring out. His teeth were held so tight together that they were beginning to hurt, while his fur was getting cold and sticky with sweat. His heart beat fast, and part of him wanted to run out and tear the attackers apart.

He knew, though, that he had to be more careful than that. He was right by the main courtyard now. Three buildings surrounded it, with the two main wings connected to the main building by sky bridges. He'd be going out of one wing, across the courtyard, under the bridge on the opposite side, around the corner and to the fire escape, while dodging the attackers as he went.

"There aren't many in position," Karen said, over his earpiece. "I can see you over a camera. Raise your hoof if you know where you're going." He did just that and, in her office, she switched the camera over to the outside view. "The biggest threat is the four or five mammals up high on the roof of your building," she explained. "I'm pretty sure that they'll have live ammunition. However, if you go past the main entrance and turn the corner, you'll be safe as long as you hug the building line." She flicked through her cameras again, double checking. "Fanghanel can distract them for a bit. He picked up an old abandoned project from the labs which'll serve that job nicely, while also leaving the fire door open for you. However, there's still the others out in front. Two right in front of your door, three in front of the main entrance, three more just patrolling about." She paused, zooming in. "The others might have tranquiliser blanks, but I think the guys at the very front may have live ammunition. Anyway, you shouldn't…."

….

There was a slight tapping on her end, Bogo getting impatient or worried. She let out a tense breath and relayed the new complication. "They have a machine gun."

She looked through her screen, and it was clearly recognisable. The shallow pool in front of the ZED entrance, with the statue of Theodore Stadler in it, had a raised wall running around it all. On the main entrance side, shielded and under cover, was a full-blown machine gun. Karen couldn't help but gulp. "It isn't attended. But you'll have to get there first. It's safe to look now, though…"

Bogo nodded, and spared a glance out.

"Raise a…"

He did.

Her body trembled, and she could barely watch on. "Well. If you're ready… See you on the other side!"

He nodded, before turning. Standing ready. The two guards in front of him simply looked out over the courtyard. Completely oblivious.

.

.

…

"Say," one of them, a cheetah, asked. "Who is this guy. Bogo?"

"Get this," the other, a hippo, said. "They say he's the one who trained Savage."

"The leader? You think he's behind all of this? Sabotage maybe?"

The other breathed out, shaking his head. "Maybe… Maybe… All I know is, he's been hurting a load of my buddies."

"Yeah," the cheetah said. "He's going to pay. He's definitely going to pay!"

An explosion suddenly ripped out from far in the distance and, looking up, they spotted what almost looked like a flare race above them. Other mammals around the camp turned, racing off around the corner to help those on the roof, while the pair grabbed their weapons.

Both felt a pinprick at the back of their skull and went limp. The cheetah was slid back inside while the hippo felt himself being held up. Before he lost consciousness, he felt a gun being slid beneath his arm.

Another bang, and another flare like round sailed out from the edge of the campus and over the roof. Karen watched as those up there all went to the other side, ducking below the parapet as they tried to get a view. She then turned back to the courtyard, watching as the armed trio outside the main lobby flinched before falling to the floor.

Bogo watched them too, throwing the hippo to the floor and grabbing his shield again. He raced out into the open, charging straight towards the machine gun, just as two guards exited the main entrance. Shield and weapon up, he fired at them. The returned their own, and he felt the shield hit back as the tranquilising blanks hit the outside. He just fired some more, jumping down behind the fountain wall as he did so and grabbing one of the flaming bottles. More gun fire, enough to get them inside, and off the first bottle sailed.

It landed and exploded, lashing at their feet and forcing them inside.

"TWO TO YOUR BACK LEFT!" Karen shrieked, and Bogo looked over to see some guards returning back. He chucked another bottle and legged it, his shield out behind him. There was the explosion of the firebomb, before a staccato of fire from both sets of mammals. Bogo's missed, badly, but he felt a few hits on the shield before he jumped down onto the ground again, sliding to a halt.

He was in front of the flaming lobby now, and he just about managed to get his shield to his other side before a rain of tranquilising rounds came his way. Another firebomb went their way, and he couldn't help but grimace as it landed inside, helping to trash the newly repaired lobby. He fired into it and then randomly in the other direction to hold off the advancing attackers.

Another one of Fanghanel's flare devices sailed over head, coming so close that Bogo had to close his eyes. He crawled forwards, his paw grasping the machine gun, and his eyes came alive as he pulled the trigger.

Up in Point Sigma, Karen watched as it sprayed randomly, forcing the outside attackers to retreat. Two of them were hit, requiring their comrades to pull them back. Bogo then turned to the lobby, giving it the exact same treatment just as the fire alarm went off.

Karen flinched down as it screeched and, looking over, she saw the mammals in the gym getting unsettled. All the students knew to assemble outside, but the guards were stopping them. Instead, they just looked around, scared and confused.

Outside, Bogo just advanced, turning this way and that as he ran, giving suppressing fire as he moved.

"THE ROOF MAMMALS ARE COMING OVER! RUN!"

He did so, charging under the sky bridge and closer and closer to the corner of the building. He didn't care about fighting back at the moment, he'd made it. He just had to keep going and "-ARGHHHHHHH!"

He screamed as an explosion ripped past his side, just as he leaped around the corner. He landed on his leg, only to collapse, and looking on in horror he saw it was on fire. A few pat downs wouldn't stop it, and the bite was getting worse, but he knew what he had to do. Up again, he charged, faster and faster, however much it hurt. He couldn't fight back, he'd dropped the gun… He saw the stairs down to the lab's fire exit up ahead and jumped in, just as a few flicks of something flashed overhead. Turning right, he dove through the double doors, pulling them closed behind him.

Safe, for now, he entered the testing chambers, out of the way of any bullets that might be shot through the door, and grabbed a fire extinguisher. His burning leg almost froze as he sprayed it, before he patted it down as much as he could. Grabbing a towel, he ran it under a sink, wrapped it around, and then sat down.

He sat down…

He was safe…

Sort of.

He was injured.

There were some stabbing pains close to the centre of the burn and, gritting his teeth as he looked at them, he realised they were from bullets.

He'd just been a bit too slow. The mammals on the roof had clipped his side, shattering the firebombs as they did so.

He then noticed that the fire alarm was ringing, though it quickly turned itself off.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, he was in trouble. No machine gun. He was out of ammunition for the others. Firebombs gone. "Karen," he said, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy as he contacted her through his earpiece. "I'm going to see what… -what you have in here. Be ready for me… Madge… Madge too…"

"Understood," Karen said, shaking as she did so. She nodded, before rubbing her face with her paws. She really wasn't up for this. Hopefully he'd find something. Hopefully he'd get through, but she wasn't sure what he could find. The flare device from there wouldn't be any good, even if it wasn't with Fanghanel right now. Pausing, she checked the cams and saw him move around the edge of the campus, ever vigilant. She'd have to call him, give an update.

One step closer. She crossed her fingers. They could do this, she hoped.

.

.

.

"Carrots…"

"Yes Nick," she replied, looking over to the fox.

"Is it me, or are we being followed?"

She glanced in her window and focussed, not sure. It just seemed like a regular set of vehicles following, but then again…

"How about you lot just drive about a bit," Jeb suggested, as he clambered up Edmund to look over the back seat. "I'll try and track them."

"I'm good with numbers," the deer said quietly, looking out the back too. Nick and Skye also got into position, looking outside, as Judy began taking a meandering route around. Doubling back on herself, dropping down the winding roads to the lower levels of the rainforest and taking some of the backroads, making full use of her four-wheel drive.

"-Same registration," Edmund said. "On both cars…"

Judy grimaced, as she ran the car down a bumpy mud track at the base of the forest. Rain was pouring down as the hot humid air cooled and condensed, and she waded the car through tracks of mud and gunk, turning again to try and lose them.

"We got another mudder up ahead," Jeb pointed out, seeing a dirty vehicle off on another track, parallel to them. It was getting closer though, coming towards them, the mud splashes and debris in the roof that they'd seen it get earlier becoming all the more visible.

Judy looked at it and focussed. Despite her powers, she knew how to drive, and how to drive well. "Jeb," she said, "you and Edmund need to remove any stuff caught on your roof when I tell you so. That'll mean going up there when we're going fast."

"Got it," the ferret said.

"Now, everyone else buckle up. Edmund, hold your partner. This is about to get rough." In the seconds it took for them to comply, she'd sent the car racing forwards, everyone beginning to shake about. Behind them, the following cars picked up the pace, as did the one to the side, coming ever closer. Judy just looked on though, fleeing like a prey from ancient times. She could have three enemies or a thousand, and she didn't want to think about what would happen if they caught her.

But first, they had to catch her. She was no dumb bunny for sure. She made her car pound down the road, skidding and shaking, kicking up air as it clipped past the car from the side, narrowly avoiding it. Brakes on, she skidded around a bend, glancing to the side to see the three pursuers smashed together.

She didn't stop though.

Instead, she pushed on, quickly coming to a deep ford which she bombed through, the spray blasting off most of the dirt and gunk from the sides. The impact forced everyone forwards, before they were being shaken about as the got up onto a tarmac road. "WINDOWS!" she called, as Edmund lowered his, holding Jeb out of it. Up on the roof he went, just as Judy saw another pair of vehicles behind them.

"More followers," Edmund said.

"Can you hit them?" she asked.

"Edmund, can you…"

A tangle of leaves, harmless to anything, were pulled off of the top and limply hit the road. Edmund pulled Jeb back in, the ferret a bit jittery. "All clear. Nothing to harm them though."

"Right," Judy said," as she hit the floor again. Twisting around some sharp bends, as she rose up the steep hills that separated the Rainforest District from Tundratown, she clipped past other vehicles and threaded the corners, everyone getting shaken about. There was a gagging sound, and Nick managed to lower his window just enough before throwing up out of it.

"Cool driving…" he panted, coming back in, an uneasy look still on his face. "But we're not losing him."

"You could play the best Furza game and you wouldn't," Jeb hissed.

"Well," Judy said, as she moved onto a main thoroughfare. "Time for another game."

"Which is?" Skye asked.

"Chicken."

The cream coloured vixen blinked a few times. "Is that good or bad?"

"It depends," she said, as she moved into the centre of the road, the rumbling of tram lines cutting in beneath them. "Ever played chicken with a train…?"

Nick blinked. "Don't tell me you'll leap this thing onto the mainline tunnel between here and Tundratown," he said. "I mean, it could work, given that you could switch tracks… -But I don't know what kind of messed up situation I'd have to be in to do that!"

"Good thing we won't be," she said, as she pushed on. Cutting to the side, she got a harsh ringing bell from a tram waiting at a station, but carried along forwards in the centre line.

"Chicken with a tram might not be so bad though," Nick said, as he saw it pass.

The two pursuing cars moved around it as they all began to sink down. The tram lines were dropping into a tunnel now, and the jeep began shaking about as they went off the smoother tarmac and began racing on top of the concrete sleepers. The red fox blinked, before racing past to the window and getting it down, again just in time.

Behind them, the two cars were close in pursuit while up ahead was another tram, moving away from them. Judy managed to catch up though, pulling in behind it while urging Nick to carry on looking out of the window. "Carrots? What do you have planned?"

Judy thought it best not to tell them and just focussed ahead. In the back of the tram, mammals were crowding up, pointing at them and confused. A little wolf pup smiled and waved, Judy returning the favour, before she glanced in front and saw what she was looking for.

She pulled out and raced forwards, right towards and oncoming tram.

"CARROTS!"

"JUDY!"

Nick and Skye shouted, holding onto each other, as Judy raced towards it and then cut to the side, slipping between the trams as they went their ways. Her ears rose as she heard a smash, and the tram she'd just dodged stopped. The one following them carried on, and from behind it came one of the cars.

She cursed and fumbled from under her breath, but still, she had a plan. She'd been expecting some of these guys to be at the end of this tunnel, but most tunnels had other ways out. This one had a big one. Lights grew ahead as she approached an underground station, its platforms low to accommodate the trams, and she turned hard to the side and managed to climb onto the platform with a jolt. On she raced, down the corridor, honking her horn as hard as possible as the pursuer followed. The station in question was there to serve one of the largest malls in Zootopia, and she was able to race right out onto the ground floor, tensely cutting through the fleeing crowds while still be followed. She pushed through some flower stalls, cut through the corner of a store, and then shook themselves hard as they drove down some stairs, ever followed.

"Skye, I…" Nick began, before dry retching out of the window again. He came back in, and looked around at everyone. "Another off the bucket list guys…"

Judy nodded firmly, smiling, as she drifted around a large plaza area, the slippery marble floor making both cars slide. It was set up as a large play area for different sized mammals, and she made sure everyone had fled before focussing on the pursuer. She was ending this here. She skidded around, the two dancing, as she goaded him on. Spinning around a slide set, she saw him click it and stop, before slamming on the brakes. Car into reverse, she charged back, hitting him with a jolt before forcing him back. Further back. Through some foam surrounds and right into a large ball pit, stopping just before her wheels fell in. Into forwards again and she raced out, leaving the car's wheels spinning uselessly.

All inside were panting heavily, and as they passed through the main entrance and back onto the road, they collapsed with relief. Nobody seemed to be following them anymore. They'd gotten away.

Nick relaxed and chuckled, before picking up his shades from the floor. "Carrots," he said. "I guess you can say that guy was balls deep…" He flicked on his glasses and everyone relaxed. After all that, a corny joke was just what they needed.

.

.

.

Brittany looked on nervously as she walked towards the ZED. Some flares, shot off from the side, were sailing over one of the wings. The steady rapping of bullet fire came after, making her flinch down. Making her pant, breathing deeply, as she made one foot go in front of the other.

Just to be safe, she put her paws up. Officially, she was concerned family, just wanting to be there for her sister who was inside.

That was her plan.

She gulped though, as she walked down the road, carefully looking around and even sniffing the air and…

She paused, before shaking her head.

She sniffed again. "What the…"

She began walking, faster and faster, as she approached the main entrance to the ZED. The scent was getting stronger and stronger, and she couldn't believe it. Yet…

She paused, before ducking down into a sheltered gully and whispering out. "Dad?"

There was a flinch from up ahead and, peeking out of the undergrowth, shaking and shivering as he did so, Nigel Voxen emerged. He looked at her and his eyes widened. "You escaped!"

"I…" she began, before feeling him pull her into a tight hug. "You… -is Kinsey okay?"

"Dad…" she began.

"Is Kinsey okay?" he asked, before pausing, pulling back. He began breathing harder, faster. "She's… she's still in there… -isn't she? -She's still in there. Not that I'm blaming you! Not that it's any more important… It's… In fact, you're…"

She grabbed his paws and his muzzle. "Quiet," she gasped. "Calm… -just for now…"

He gulped, before nodding. "Yes… Sorry… -what's going on, I don't know?"

"I found out that things were going bad before," she said. "Skye, Judy and the others were in danger, I couldn't call them, so I flew out… Ended up rescuing them… We're back here to save the day…" She breathed in and out, before shaking her head. "What are you doing here?"

"My… My daughters are in there," he said, before gulping.

"Does Mum…?"

"Yes," he said. "She didn't know what to do, she wasn't sure if I should try and help or stay put, but I had to! I had to protect… I had to prove… I…" he took a deep breath in, and another out, before a half-laugh and a half-cry came out. "Not that it was any use…"

"You're… -you're just a civilian Dad," she said, holding him tight. "You're just…"

"No. I'm your father," he interrupted, as he looked up at her. "Your pathetic excuse for a father, who always just ran away. Not even from those hurting you, but you yourself, I… -I had to come! I had to prove I had changed…. I had to do something to help you…. Be an actual father for a change! -And you're out and safe and I'm so happy that you are but… but…" He looked down, sniffing. "Now I've got to get Kinsey," he said. "So, there's another notch on that favourite tally…"

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. "Dad…" she gasped, grabbing him tight. "Not this again I don't care! You were scared. I scared you, more than scared you! I know Kinsey isn't a favourite, and… You…. You… I thought you were going to get help. Didn't you?"

He shrugged. "Your Mr Clawhauser was going to see me tomorrow," he said. "He's been busy lately."

She closed her eyes. "Haven't we all…" she said. "But Dad, there is no tally! You… you came here to rescue both of us and… -Even that wasn't needed!"

"It is…" he said, looking into her. "You… I mean…. -Every day, I realise how amazing you are and… and how you deserved so much better than me." He shook his head and looked down. "I've said it before, I don't deserve you. You don't deserve me, too. You deserve better. I bet any fox off the street would be a better father to you than I was."

"No," Brittany said, beginning to feel herself cry. "I never wanted that. All I wanted was you, Dad! You, to be there for me, helping me! It… It took some time… It took a lot of time, and a lot of talking, to patch up all the wounds that were my fault to begin with! But… but we made it! I don't want to swap it for anything, I just want more of it…"

"Making up for lost time," he commented, glumly.

Brittany nodded. "Yeah," she said, sniffing. She then brought him into a hug, tight. "You're a scared mammal. I don't care… I… But you came here, wanting to help, and that is so brave," she said, looking at him. "It does make me love you even more, okay… That you'd go out there for me. So well done… Well done, okay! You've proven your point. But I want to make up for lost time, and when this is over with, I can't do that if… if…"

She went silent, looking down, sniffing. It felt so much better though as he stroked her head. "I… I feel I have to do this," he confessed. "For once, be an actual father you can look up to… Do my job…" He sighed. "Maybe I'm just being selfish. Maybe I just want to do this for myself. I don't know…" There was a pause, and a slight laugh. "Maybe I'd know if they'd have done this tomorrow and I gotten to see Mr Clawhauser."

Brittany laughed a bit too and held him tighter. "Go back home," she said. "I'll be in there, helping out and being there with Kinsey… I'll handle this."

He looked at her and paused. "You're going back in?"

"Uh-hu."

"Sneaking, or…"

"Handing myself in," she said. "Being put with Kinsey and the others, getting everyone ready for when the plan goes ahead."

He nodded. "Then… Then let me be with you and her," he said, taking a breath in and holding her tighter. "For… For once in your life, you deserve to have your father by your side as you step into danger. I left you alone for so long… Let me be with you when it really matters."

Brittany looked up at him and couldn't help but feel a swirl of different emotions and feelings. She knew she should let him go. Make him go. Keep him as safe as possible. He was a civilian. This had never been his fight, his world, and he'd been dragged into it and was now tearing himself apart because of how badly he'd coped. She was the one with the responsibility.

Yet…

Was she any better? Shouldn't she be waiting outside? Was she going through the exact same things as her father, yet not know it? He came back here, to be with those he felt guilty for, and when she thought of it like that, was she really any different?

And the idea… She loved him, and she knew that she should want him gone and safe, part of her did. But having him hold her paw… Be with her… A father figure to take her into this and be by her side… Deep down she did want it. She truly did… She wouldn't care if he left here and now, but for so long she had wanted a father to be there for her, to stand up for her, to protect her. Part of her craved and desired having him with her, today, standing up beside her as they stepped into the abyss, never to leave his side.

Yet wasn't that oh so terribly selfish? Greedy? She was a hero, wasn't she? She should say no, surely? She had no idea whether she should do what she should do, or what she wanted, and it gnawed and tore at her. She just wanted things to be okay…

She looked down, breathed out, before her face lit up as her father began singing a familiar tune. One he'd first sung after her nightmare, that night on the cruise, when the wall they'd built between themselves finally came crashing down and he'd felt like her father for the first time in years. "How can I try, to explain…'Cause when I do, you turn away again… It's always been, that sad, sad story… From the moment I could stand, I was ordered to stay…. Now there's a way and I know… -I have to go with you… I know, I have to go…"

She closed her eyes and sniffed in, tears trickling down her face. Instinctively, she tried to stay her powers, only to remember that they were gone. "I don't remember how the last line goes, I'm afraid," she said. "But…. I've cried a lot, and all those times, I was scared and unsure. I had things I wanted to say, and demand, but I was told or thought it best to keep it quiet. Trusting those above me. But it became so hard to just let it go on around me. Now I know why they all did it, and they were right in a way. But they were looking at it from themselves, not from me… But now… I think there's a way we can do this. And maybe I should say no," she said. "But for once, I don't want to... Let's go, Dad… Go together…"

She held him tight, and he held her tight, and she told him their plan.

Then, together, father and daughter, they stepped up to a guard. Asked if they could go in, to be with their family. She held his trembling paw, and he hers, as they were escorted through the damaged courtyard and into the gym, where the other residents were being kept.

Brittany was scared, terrified. But she had her dad by her side. By all means and purposes, he shouldn't have been there. But she was ever so glad he was.


	36. Chapter 35

**AN: We've come a long way, and now we're at the penultimate chapter. In a weeks time, comes the epilogue. It's been a wild ride, and I hope you enjoy this gripping finale.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 35.**

.

.

Kinsey was scared. She was tired. She was lonely.

She wanted her sister, and to be home, or at least to know what was going on. All she knew was that her sister had come in on her practice session, not to watch her like she hoped, but to grab her gear, running off to help her friends who were in danger. She guessed that that was what heroes did, but it still worried her. She'd been hoping her sister would come back. She was lonely in the strange room, the room she should have been sharing with her. She stayed up into the night, afraid for her, even as her friend Ben, the big cheetah who had been with her, tried to distract her.

Then the mammals had come in, mammals with guns, and she and all the others had been led into the sports hall, made to sit down on the hard floor and wait.

Wait.

Wait…

She was tired, but too scared and uncomfortable to sleep. It had seemed like an age, and she'd burst down into tears throughout it. She even tried using her powers, but they and the powers of the other kids weren't working.

She wanted to go home.

She wanted her family.

…

"Kinsey…?"

She woke from a slight slumber as she was shaken by the large cheetah. "Kinsey. Wake up, look!"

She turned, and gasped with relief. "DADDY! BRITTANY!"

They raced over, hugging her tight, before settling down.

"I missed you! I missed you and I was scared for you! Are you here to save us! Are you here to be a hero, and…"

Brittany place her finger on the tip of her muzzle, shushing her, before nodding, giving a wink as she did so. "I've got a plan," she whispered. "But you need to play along. We wait for the right time, you do your bit, and we can all get out of here safe."

Kinsey suddenly felt a bit frightened, gulping.

Her father though hugged her tight. "It's going to be okay," he said, nuzzling her chin as he did so. "Your brilliant sister has a plan, but you need to keep it a secret."

Brittany nodded, before looking at Ben. "How's Larry?"

"Sleeping," he said, pointing to his shirt pocket. Brittany leant forwards stroking him a few times.

"Hey. Larry?"

His eyelids fluttered, and he woke up, his face lighting up when he saw her. "You're here to rescue us!"

"Sssshhhhhhhh!" she went, nodding as she did so. She looked to Kinsey and Larry, and Larry and Kinsey. "Sooner or later, we'll be getting our powers back," she whispered. "When we do, I have a very important job for you two." She motioned for them to come in closer, which they did, and she began giving them her brief. When Brittany finished, they stood away, scared but hopeful. But, if there was one thing they weren't, it was lonely.

They'd wait for their time together.

.

.

"Okay," Karen said, looking out of her window and at the forces still laying siege to them. Looking at the weapons they held, she noticed that they were all rubber bullets. Designed to hurt like hell and force a mammal down. Enough to take over and handle all the ex-empowered. Usually enough to stop any mammal approaching here.

Breathing in, breathing out, she spoke into her phone. "Bogo, how are you?"

…

"-I've been better," he grunted. "I guess it's just a charge through the last set now. I've found something from your lab which should help."

She nodded. "Yes. I'm at the door, ready to let you in."

…

"Well, see you soon."

…

He cut off, Karen signalling to Madge as she did so. They didn't want to clue the waiting mammals in about the attack, but at a moment's notice they had to be ready to open and then close the door. Her paws were trembling, and her heart skipped a beat as one of the mammals seemed to spot that, just looking at her. Wondering. Trying to figure out wha….

-The lights went out outside, bathing the mercs in darkness. Karen saw them looking around, confused.

Outside, the mammal who'd been staring at her looked around, trying to figure out if this was something or not. He paused though as his ears picked up heavy footsteps and a deep, ragged, pained set of breaths. He and the others stood up, raising their weapons, aiming into the blackness just as a sort-of figure seemed to emerge.

It breathed in and out, and then the sword it held burst into light, electricity rippling along it, revealing the towering monster itself. Whatever mammal it was, it was clad in thick black gym mats, with a fencing helmet over its face. It breathed in and out, its electric sword raised, and then it walked forwards.

"FIRE!"

He pulled the trigger with the others, rubber bullet after rubber bullet impacting the attacker, but on he came regardless. Then he began to swing his sword, arcs of light coursing off it and licking building or mammal alike. Swirling it around, it hit mammal after mammal, sending them into a sprawling crying heap on the floor. Nothing could stop it, nothing could defeat it, and the attackers felt their fear grow as, one after the next, they were mowed down. One, a goat, barely had time to react as it grabbed its shirt and lifted him right up into the roof, his entire head getting stuck in the false ceiling. The monster left him behind, slicing down two more attackers before stabbing his sword into the goat's rear, sending him falling down into a defeated heap.

Firing bullets turned to futile clicks, as those few that remained realised that they were out.

All bar one got a chance to reload, getting sliced down instead.

The one that did was too scared to fire, instead turning to the door he'd been trying to get through all this time and screaming out. "LET ME IN!"

His calls went unanswered, and then he felt the searing agony of pain slice down his back. He spasmed out, collapsing and twitching on the floor useless, unable to even move his eyes. Through his groans and whimpers though he heard the door open and then close again.

Eventually, getting up again, he joined his other comrades in running as far away as they possibly could. They didn't care about their job or mission anymore. They just cared about getting the hell away from that…

…

Inside, Karen and Madge watched as Bogo fell to his knees. He dropped the lighting device that Honey had made years ago, before taking off his helmet and the homemade armour. The two ladies looked on at him, shocked. He seemed broken and gaunt, large bruises already coming up all over him despite all the protection he'd afforded himself. An acrid smell of blood was reeking out, some of the red stuff dripping down his side, while a definite burnt scent was in the air.

He looked at both of them, wobbling a bit, before Karen sprung into action. "Over here!" she said, motioning to the iris scanner. He walked over, put his eyes to them, and they all waited. Waited.

A computerised voice spoke out. " _ACCESS GRANTED."_

Madge cheered out, fist in the air, while Karen sighed with blessed relief. Looking over, she saw Bogo smile too, only to wobble a bit.

Madge saw it too, and both of them were then at his side, helping him down. The vet got his clothes off of him and began assessing the damage. "Oh queen of the hive," she muttered, looking over it. His entire front had taken a beating, his side and leg were suffering serious burns, and he was still bleeding, badly.

"Karen," she said, looking up to the now queasy hare. "Do your thing, I'll handle this."

She did so, as Madge opened the basic, and totally inadequate, first aid kit present and began bandaging him. It wouldn't do much good though, and his burns and bruising would continue to pain him. All she could give were a few basic painkiller tablets and a glass of water to swallow them down with.

"Thanks," he said, before coughing.

"Hold in there," the vet warned.

He nodded, before turning up to Karen. "Nice lightsaber, by the way…"

She tuned to correct him, only to shake her head and look away. It could wait. She had her part to play now, as did the others. While not usually superstitious, she crossed her fingers. She wished… She hoped… that they were doing okay.

.

.

.

Across town in tundratown, a ragtag group of mammals were making a trek up a mountain. The snow was thick and deep, to the point where Nick and Skye were walking on all four paws. The alternative was a cold wade through the frigid stuff. Edmund ploughed through the snow beside them.

Jeb and Judy, meanwhile….

They'd all needed heavy equipment to traverse the snow and get up here. A regular car, or even a specialised snowmobile, wouldn't do. Thankfully, there were many local ski runs throughout this part of the city.

Nick smiled as a deep thrumming diesel engine rumbled beside him. Looking behind, he saw Jeb, the tiny ferret having the time of his life in a massive red piste basher. Its front scoop smashed through piles of snow, while its giant tracks made light work of the steep slope and snowy conditions. Behind it, it left a perfectly groomed run, Nick thinking in amusement that it was ideal for those who wished to get down after. Were it not for the fact that they needed some mammals in front scanning for trouble, he'd be walking up on that new path.

Judy, in a second basher, pushed up on a different route.

Both hauled a large load behind them, and behind that various helpers came, a small fraction of the gathering they'd met up with previously. They'd only needed a few, and that few was right behind them. Among them was a fox cop that Judy knew, who'd come up to help them, giving them the authority to commandeer the heavy equipment. There were members of the fire crew too, some carrying large hoses.

It was a ragtag group of helpers, but it was all that they needed.

"Think this will work?" Skye asked.

Nick nodded. "We're about to find out," he said, as he pointed up.

"Is that it?"

"I guess," he said, looking up, his eyes narrowing, at a squat turret like building with a steep conical roof raised a good few meters above his rim.

Nick couldn't help but smile. Karen had been right, they weren't attacking one or two targets, the whole system was a chain. They just had to find the weakest point. If the power cables were above ground and suspended on pylons, it would have been easy enough to attach a chain and pull them down. Dawn had checked that that wasn't the case. She'd found that they went through to the distribution centre in a tunnel and trusted that.

But she never checked what kind of tunnel it was, and Judy was right in that tunnels tended to have different entrances and exits.

It was a detail few would ever really know about. None of them had, until they'd thankfully stumbled upon it. It all went back to the dam that built Zootopia in the first place. The Grand Kula.

Before it was built, a long railway went from the city up north, following the Kula river. Much of it was flooded by the filling reservoir though, requiring a massive diversion in a whole new direction. That had left a tunnel to nowhere through Tundratown, called the Pinemuzzle Tunnel. It had gone from near the centre of the city, to a place close to the planned dam. While no longer needed for trains, it had thus proved perfect to run the cables through.

No different to them building a brand-new tunnel, was it?

Except it was.

The old tunnel was built for steam engines, and thus had a number of ventilation shafts that were left in place. Ventilation shafts like the one they were approaching now. A _hopefully_ unguarded weak point, which was exactly what it had turned out to be.

"We're looking good," Nick replied, as the bashers parked nearby. Over came one of their steel lines, usually used to fix the machine to an anchor point, letting it deal with particularly steep slopes. This time, though, Skye attached to a harness she'd gotten from Honey. Edmund helped her up and, after some shaking and deep breaths, she was up on the steel mesh that covered the roof of the shaft. With an angle grinder out, she cut a hole in, and was then lowered down.

Jeb kept in contact throughout. Keeping his cool, while occasionally letting her know that he was thinking about buying a dozen of these things.

Skye nodded in agreement, before she finally dropped into the tunnel itself. It was bright and clean, painted white, while racks of black insulated cables ran along it. She could hear a buzz in the air, her fur was all standing on end, and little black spots appeared and flashed in her vision, due to the fields created by the powerful alternative currents. "It's perfect," she said into her radio, as she brought out a few flares, flicked them on, and dropped them down. She was then pulled up, slowly but surely, until she jumped out of the shaft and into Nick's waiting arms. They then turned to the volunteer fire mammals, who tossed down a pair of hoses. Nick heard them clatter against the floor, before signalling to a bunch of mammals up above them.

The hoses weren't attached to fire engines, but to a rather special cargo that they'd used the bashers to pull up.

Two petrol tankers.

Everyone ran to a safe distance while the valves were turned on, and then everyone ran just a bit more.

…

An explosion ripped through the land, showers of snow falling off the nearby trees, and they watched on as a jet of flame began rising out of the tunnel, burning with a powerful heat and vigour.

Nick signalled to Judy. "When the powers come back, you go after the Ewe of Doom!" he said, as he grabbed a sheet of metal and then getting on it like a sled with Skye. "We'll be ready to deal with the meteor itself."

She nodded and watched the pair slide off. Closing her eyes, taking a breath in, she wandered over to a nearby mammal who'd brought a snow bike and got on. She'd be ready by the city hall too.

.

.

Karen looked on nervously. She'd heard that the plan was in motion. The city would soon have its powers back.

The smaller field at the ZED, though…

She sighed, as she used the new GUI to track the down the trolley that carried the field, following it from place to place. Biting her lip. Waiting. Looking at the controls available to her, ranging from every door to every air conditioner to every service system, she began locking a series of them, trapping them in. Giving them only one step free escape route when she selected the sprinklers in the area and turned them on.

A smile grew on her face as she watched the attackers flinch and shake from the impromptu shower, arguing before running straight into a locked door. They tried another, and then another, as she wished them on. She could see their diesel generator running on, powering their cart, as they tried another way out and then another.

"Come on," she said, trembling. She then pumped her fist as they jumped into the one way out, the lift. They started moving up and, with one quick flick, Karen stopped them. They were trapped, halfway between the floors, in a tiny room that was already being poisoned by their little generator. It didn't take long at all for them to turn it off, before punching through the exit at the top, gasping for air. Switching to a camera outside, she opened a door for them to get out and watched them rush into the clear air, panting hard to clear their lungs. They could do nothing as she sealed the lift doors again and sent the lift up to the very top.

Off. Out of the way. Another task completed.

She paused, wondering how to celebrate, before turning on the sprinklers on their new floor and watching them run for cover again.

She wasn't usually vindictive, but she felt that these mammals deserved it. She then switched over to the cameras for the gym, pausing as she saw what must have been Brittany's father with them.

She didn't like that complication, but she'd have to run with it. She'd already done her little thing to both this area and the one that was holding the rest of the enforcers. Pushing the air conditioning to blow cooler or warmer air in just the right places. Nudging the guards away, into just the right positions.

She looked on, before using her phone to give Brittany an update. "Expect to get your powers back soon," she warned. "Our field's off, and the power lines are burning."

Brittany held her ring finger up to her muzzle and whispered out. "Understood. They're beginning to shift already."

Karen nodded, only to pause as she heard some moaning behind her. She turned and grimaced as she saw the blood pooling on the floor. Around Bogo.

He just lay there, his fur glistening with sweat, yet his face looking so weak. Madge was trying her best to stem the wounds but it was a losing battle. "Hold on there," she said. "We're so close. They have ambulances waiting for when something happens, and I told them they needed a lot of cape buffalo blood…. -well, they use universal synthetic blood, but the point still stands…. You'll get through this."

"No…" he whispered, moving slightly. Each breath was a laboured pain, and he felt weak. Weak and cold, but also as if there was a warm room far off calling him, and he could just about sense it. He felt like he wanted to go there.

"Listen, Bogo, you're going to survive."

He chuckled slightly, a grin growing on his muzzle. "So I can go to jail, huh?" he asked. "I know… it's dumb… but going out as a hero…"

"Yes, you're a hero," she said, grabbing his hoof. "Listen, you saved the ZED. Your bravery did this! The new mayor, who'll probably want to look good after this mess or something, will get you a pardon or something! Good deed and all," she said, smiling. "It's not like Nick wants you put away… How about that, huh? A pardon for a hero. You can carry on working here. That sounds good?"

"No…." he sighed, turning away slightly. His eyes were beginning to droop.

"Of course it does. Of course…"

He snorted, shaking his head. "Why? So I can…" he began, breathing in a haggard breath. "So I can just pick three more foxes whose lives I can ruin?"

"Bogo, you…"

"-No," he interrupted, as he stared up at her, his eyes watering ever so slightly. "I… I… I failed them… Skye trusted me… I didn't ju… -Didn't just let her get hurt…. I…. My deeds…. My stupidity, it then… Well, I then took ten years from her and Nick…" He groaned a bit, his paw going down to his side, before he managed to speak again. "When I did… did learn a lesson… It was one that made Brittany suffer," he said, sniffing a bit. "I should have… have been more forceful, more caring… Force her family to visit her when they started to avoid her, rather than…. Rather than just speaking to them… -Helped her with her powers… So…. So she could have maybe gone home years early… Or… or when I heard she looked up as me as a… a… father figure, be one for her…" He sniffed, looking away. "They all trusted me… Those three innocent foxes… I stole years from each of them," he sighed, his eyes beginning to droop. "Maybe… Maybe it's best that I don't get a chance to hurt three more…"

"Bogo," Madge said, holding his paws tighter, getting worried as he began crying. Sniffing slightly. "Bogo, stay with me."

"I…" he said, before sighing. "Tell them I'm sorry… I truly am… I hope they… they find better…"

His eyes closed, and Madge began slapping his paw faster. Karen looked on, terrified. "Is he…"

"No," she said. "Unconscious, should be stable for a bit," she said. "But it's getting urgent. He needs to be in a hospital in a matter of hours." She then turned to Karen and nodded. "Come on guys… We're counting on you."

.

.

.

Over in the Pinemuzzle tTunnel, the fire roared on. Petrol continued to flow down, fuelling the inferno as it consumed all it could lick or touch. The metal straps that held up the power cables were beginning to sag while, all over, the thick rubber insulated was melting off, bubbling and burning.

It stripped off one of the cables, a few arcs flying here and there but failing to find much purchase. But then a nearby cable, on a different phase, became exposed.

Even outside the ventilation shaft and through the rising flames, mammals saw the bright flash.

In the dam power house, sirens blared at the sound of switchgear turning off rang out. There was a shriek as the generators shut down, while the display up on the control building wall showed the power being generated tumble.

The head guard marched into the control building, staring down the terrified beaver in control. "What just happened!"

"The entire system tripped," he said, gesturing over.

"Well turn it back on!"

"It's an automated system. There's a cooldown, and it'll just…"

"I said turn it back on!" he shouted, as he brandished his gun.

The beaver gulped but stayed defiant. "Do you know how to turn it back on?"

The guard growled, only to be broken off as a sheep worker marched in. "All power cables on the main climate route have failed. We've also got multiple fire warnings. It's severed." He then looked up at the guard. "You can't deny it, it's over."

The guard looked on, his paw shaking. "I said turn it back on!"

"It'll just trip again. Why are you even!"

"JUST DO AS I SAY, AND NO-ONE GETS HURT!"

Pausing, they nodded and set to work.

.

.

.

Over in the Tundratown site, a bunch of far more zealous military mammals were assembling around the large device they'd hauled in. Weapons up and out to defend the now defunct thing, their leader marched around giving orders.

In a flash though, all their guns vanished.

"Looking for these?" a mammal asked, and they turned to see the infamous hustle lying back on a throne of them, acting relaxed and casual.

"Or these?" They turned to see a vixen above them before watching as she floated down to her own throne.

Both foxes raised guns containing live ammunition, before Nick spoke out. "Easy way or hard way guys."

Paws went up, and the pair slowly walked up to them. "Good choice," Nick said, as he glanced at the meteor itself. Set up with all sorts of machines of the outside, it was the same one they'd dug up, that was for sure.

There was a shearing sound, and he looked forward to see the group leader, a rhino, holding up a piece of sheet metal, shaking slightly as he held it. Fury was in his eyes as he stared down the fox.

From the side, Skye looked on, hovering just above the ground.

"Really?" Nick said. "Even if you manage to catch or hit me…"

There was a sudden jolt, Skye looking over to the meteor to see the equipment light up again, and she suddenly fell to the ground. There was a scream from her side, and her blood ran cold with fear just as the meteor turned off again. Glancing over to where Nick was, she stepped back in horror.

It had only been on for a second or two, but the lapse in powers had let the Rhino attack Nick, bringing down his piece of metal on the fox's mid-section. She felt her heart shatter and her blood run cold, and her fear took over. She couldn't lose him, she couldn't.

She raced forwards, her powers back again, and smashed into the leader, sending him hard against the wall with a crack of bones. Everyone else was fleeing, but she ignored them. She raced back to the meteor, paws on it and shaking, as she vibrated off the equipment and sent it rolling away, just as another set of sparks kicked through it.

Nick…

She had to save Nick…

He wasn't speaking, he was out…

He was out and he'd been cut in two, but he could heal.

He had to heal…

He would heal, and she grabbed his two parts, tears in her eyes as she raced him to the nearest hospital.

They could put him together again. He'd heal up…

She wasn't going to lose him. She couldn't!

.

.

.

.

The beaver in the power house shrugged again. "I told you, it's gone! It's dead! Three trips, and now I can't force it again without a manual reset. Then it'll just trip again until whatever caused this is fixed!"

The guard shook, teeth bared, before he grabbed his radio. "Every mammal for themselves," he ordered, before throwing his gun on the floor. "Go home, do what you like…"

He left, leaving the two workers confused, something that increased as some of the other, more junior, guards entered.

"What was that about?" one asked.

"I still don't know what was going on here?" another said.

A third looked at the beaver and sheep and shrugged. "Boss said we can go home… That true?"

The beaver looked around, sighing with relief. His head guard had barged in earlier, demanding he keep the power on before he even realised it should be turned off for some reason. There was then something about empowered… And now this. "Yes," he sighed. "Go home. Treat yourself."

He watched them all leave, before looking up the report the sheep had brought on what he thought had damaged the power system.

He responded with a single four-letter word beginning with 'S' and ending with 'T'.

Given the level of damage they were looking at, it seemed highly appropriate.

.

.

.

.

Over in the ZED, Brittany closed her eyes and tried her heat vision again. As usual nothing, and…

She gasped, her eyes opening, as it returned. Closing them and trying again, she confirmed it.

There was a quick nudge to her side. "You're getting warm," Kinsey whispered.

Brittany nodded. "Do the plan," she whispered, looking around to those in attendance. She held her communicator ring up to her mouth and whispered into it, telling Karen that they were back in business. They didn't have much time though. Either a kid here would work it out, or one of the captured enforcers, and they had to be ready before. She felt terrified, on the edge of a precipice, yet, at the same time, there was a strange calm. The kind before a storm.

Everything was in play. Secretly, cold air had been blown at the ten or so guards in the room, using the advanced controls that Karen now had. Six had moved into a deliberately warm area, a side gym, filled with lifting weights and semi-separated by a cool looking sci-fi door.

That left four left, which Kinsey focussed on. There was a little lever on each of their guns, and Kinsey slowly moved each of them up, locking the safety on. She did the same for the six others, just to be safe. She gave her sister a little tap, and after getting a thumbs up, then focussed all her worth on the magazines. Wiggling the four ones down bit by bit, so they were as loose as could be.

Brittany, checking Larry that was ready, held up her ring. "Ready?"

"When you are…"

She nodded, just as one of the guard's radios went off. "What do you mean their…" he began to say, before he felt his gun magazine get torn from its hold. The same happened to the three others next to him, and before all of them could react a slam rang out as the six others of his squad were sealed off into a different room. Recovering from the shock, he leant down to grab the ammunition, only to flinch back as a sharp stinging rang out in his eyes.

Brittany watched on as Larry, using the acorns she'd randomly picked up at Bushel farms, nailed each of their eyes. Now it was her turn. Out came her wand, and with a fiery resolve she kicked up a powerful flame from the end and sent it sweeping next to them. Not to touch them, or to hurt them, but to force them back. "Get back!" she ordered, and when their weapons failed to fire they did just that. Paws up, Brittany marched out of the crowd of scared and huddling mammals, equal parts terrified and ecstatic, and forced the other guards into another side room. Karen sealed them in and then, channelling her inner peace and using her wand, Brittany coated both doors with a thick layer of hard ice. Trapping them in there.

She panted in and out, before Karen piped in. "Wolford's torn their guns away! Stay put and safe."

She nodded, fist bumping in the air, before speaking out. "Stay calm, everyone! The ZED is back in control. You're safe. Stay here just for a bit longer. Is that okay?"

The scared mammals nodded in agreement, and then one began to clap. Then another. Then another. Soon they all were, and Brittany felt herself shake with relief and happiness and glee. She raced forwards, jumping into her father's arms, and Ben's, and Kinsey's, and Larry's. She sniffed, quickly remembering to draw back her powers so she didn't grow icicles in her eyes. "We did it. All of us."

"You're fantastic!" Larry cheered.

"I'm so proud of you," her father said, hugging her closer. "My little hero."

"Thanks for being by my side through all this Dad," she said, hugging him tight. She backed off though, before looking over at Clawhauser. "Dad, Ben, Ben, Dad," she said, smirking a bit. "Talk."

Her father chuckled, before sighing. "Yeah. I'd better, I… I was scared… But thanks so much for letting me be there with you."

"Thanks so much for standing by me," she said, sniffing.

.

.

.

Inside the control room, Karen watched on as the various mammals were dealt with. Together, Fangmeyer and Wolford tore them apart. His magnetic powers ripped the guns from their paws and hooves, while she, recovered from her tranquing and very angry, was all too happy to fly up and give them a beatdown.

Karen paused though as she heard a shuddering from behind her. Bogo. "How is he?" she asked.

"Not good," the vet replied. His eyes were closed, his breathing every more haggard and light. "He should make it… He should… The ambulances are coming."

Karen nodded, before checking her screens. She then called Brittany. "Bogo is in Point sSigma," she said. "Badly injured, he should make it, but might not. You might want to come over. Just in case…"

Over in the gym, Brittany sobbed, relaying the news to the others. The five of them chose to walk over, together. A creeping hoarfrost of dread grew over her at the news, and she struggled to hold in a worried sob. Her father held her tight, comforting her on the long walk over.

.

.

Over at City Hall, Judy bounced in. She noticed a line of police cars already arriving and chose to join them. Her nose twitched as she saw them get out. "Finally chosen a side?" she asked.

A familiar wolf looked at her and shrugged. "It seems we have."

Despite the cold animosity between her and the forces, they moved up together with a purpose. A grim one for sure, completing the last rights. But it was one they did nonetheless.

They knocked on the mayor's door and walked in. She just stood there, drinking a shot of something before placing it down. She was oddly calm after that, looking down. Judy watched on as her rights were read, her charges laid out, and as the cuffs were placed on her.

It was only as she was led out that she spoke.

"I guess you're the better mammal," she commented.

"I guess I am. You'll have a lot to answer for."

"Maybe," she said, before pausing. "What happened to Nate Bushel, by the way?"

"He was holding some mammals hostage with a real gun, one of them got him with a tranq. He was impaled…"

The ewe flinched, looking down. "Do you know about his brother?"

"I've heard things…"

"Well," she said, looking up. "If you think you're a good mammal, could you do me a favour?"

"What's that?" the bunny barbed.

"Visit his mother," she said, looking down. There was a faint laugh. "Maybe visit mine, too… They both lost all their loved to empowered. Neither deserved it…"

Judy looked at her, nervously. Something was just a bit off… "I guess you'll have a lot of questions from her to answer too?" she asked.

She snorted. "No…"

Judy paused, noticing a tear trickle down Dawn's face. "What do you mean?"

"I know what the empowered will do to me now," she said plainly. "Maybe not an official move by the ZED, but just one bad empowered mammal. That's the problem, you see. If the powers were given out to only good mammals, there wouldn't be much of a problem. But it can be given to the best and the worst and… the thing is, Judy, no bad mammal should ever be given that power over others." She looked at her, in the eyes, and the bunny felt them bore into her soul. "I've seen what one angry empowered can do. I know what happened to your partner, Skye, and I saw my father get tortured to death in front of my eyes my an empowered." She paused, trailing off. "Sooner or later, that would be me."

Judy's nose twitched. "Or maybe not."

"I have a feeling it would be," she sighed, as she walked down the steps towards the cars. "My mother… having it happen to me, it would break her heart. I…" She stumbled slightly, Judy reaching out to hold her. The Ewe looked at her, almost pleadingly, and Judy gulped. "I can at least let her know that I died painlessly. Please do visit her. She doesn't deserve to be…"

Dawn trailed off, her eyelids fluttering, before she collapsed onto the steps. There were screams and shouts, as various officers tried to pick her up. Carry her. Get her to respond.

Judy held back, remembering the drink she'd been drinking before.

She couldn't help but feel sick.

Dawn Bellwether had played the game. A game where she would either win or die. She chose to die on her own terms. Judy paused as the phone rang. Listening in, her eyes widened, she told the cops that she had to go and raced away, bouncing off to a hospital.

She'd just seen Dawn Bellwether die, and now she found out that Nick might die too.

.

.

"I don't want him to die," Brittany said.

"I know dear," her father added, holding her paw tight. The other three followed behind her.

"I… -There's just things I want to say, but I can't think of them," she carried on. "I'm scared and… I do love him… But… How…"

She looked down, hoarfrost growing on her fur. She had an itch in her ear and pulled out Honey's communicator, now that she could see Point Sigma.

"He does care for you," her father said.

"I know," she replied. "But…"

She paused, spotting Karen up ahead, banging on the door. Waving her arms. Shouting…

"What the…" she began, before she flinched back as a huge mammal jumped out of the stairwell in front of her, turning to face her. She screamed, running back into her dad and holding him tight, as she gazed upon the wildebeest who'd tried to kill her in the restaurant. He just took one look at her, smiled, and raised his gun. "I still get to solve one problem here!" he shouted, as Brittany's world seemed to freeze.

She then felt herself get thrown to the side by her father, just as his weapon let out a few clicks instead of shots. He flinched back as a barrage of acorns, fired by Larry, hit him in the eyes and around his face, just as he moved to flick the safety back to off. His grip loosened, and he dropped the gun, Kinsey immediately dragging it along the floor towards her.

Clawhauser shouted. "RUN!"

Brittany couldn't help but follow his instruction, racing out as she heard the massive mammal charge behind her. Up ahead, she saw the cheetah, carrying the kits, turn across to some stairs, but she wasn't going to make it. Instead, her father yanked her around the corner, and she glanced back to see the massive mammal skid to a halt, turning to race after her. Everything was a blur, and a mess, and she was scared again. Terrified.

He was charging as they turned another corner, into the ruined lobby. She skidded to a halt when she saw the glass on the floor, but her father wasn't so lucky, wincing as one of his pads hit a half melted shard of an old spirit bottle. He howled and winced, glancing around, before grabbing Brittany and pushing her forwards. "RUN!" he cried.

"DAD!"

"I SAID RUN!"

She did, picking her way through the glass and out into the courtyard, as her father, shaking and trembling, faced the oncoming wildebeest.

"WHERE IS SHE!"

He breathed in and out, his body a blur from his shivers of fear. He tried to speak up, his voice barely managing it, but managing it nonetheless. "I… I won't let you harm her," he said.

"Really?" he asked, pointing at him. "You think I fear a wimp like you," he said. "Besides, I can see the mutant of yours out there. I'll just go after her and put her down, like she deserves." He paused, frowning. "I heard she was a nasty little arsonist, who got away with murder."

Nigel gritted his teeth. "No…. She's my daughter. She's my wonderful daughter, and I've spent long enough running from her! Not being there for her! Today… -today is the day I stand up to protect here, you hear!? You hear me! You've hurt her enough! NO MORE!"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Really, what's the worst you can do?"

He gulped and let out a thin smile. "Give her time to get away."

The wildebeest's eyes widened, and he looked up, seeing her run. With a snort and flaring nostrils, he kicked Nigel in the stomach, winding him and sending him onto the glass. Hurt, but alive…

He could maybe fix that later. He had a certain pest to catch first.

.

Brittany collapsed on the other side of fountain, out of breath. A horrible stitch ran through her torso while her legs burned and, looking back, she saw the wildebeest racing forwards. Across the courtyard. Right into the large pool around the fountain. Like a freight train, bearing down on her.

She couldn't outrun him. She couldn't survive him.

She….

She brought out her wand and grimaced, looking forwards again. She knew this was a possibility, wasn't it? Even though it made her sick to her stomach. Even though it felt wrong in every way. Was it the only option she had?

Would she always be a mammal who burned others to death?

He was more than halfway there now, and she felt a cold dread course through her. Hoarfrost crept over her, and…

…

She looked at it, then up.

No.

She was fire, and she was also ice. She could be a hero, and she didn't have to kill.

She pushed her wand forwards, letting loose a blast of cold, and channelled all her peace and dread and calm into it. Ice shot out of her wand, racing across the entire pond, right past the wildebeest.

Her eyes were closed, but she heard a snap, and then a long bellowing scream.

She opened them and grimaced. His foot had been caught in the ice mid stride, and the rest of his body had carried on.

It had snapped.

He'd crashed into the ice.

He'd taken one of her teeth, and now she'd repaid it by taking a foot. But he was alive. He was alive and trapped, especially as Brittany channelled a set of icicles up around him, locking him in. She then walked over, gagging a bit at the sight of his foot, blood pouring out.

She then remembered a little bit of advice that Judy gave. About how fire could heal.

Eyes closed set let loose a lick of flame and cauterised his wound shut. She then looked on, almost in shock, as the other enforcers arrived. A line of ambulances too. She began walking back to the lobby, and then running, watching on as a nurse attended to her father.

"I'm good," he moaned, probably appreciating the funny side of his situation. "Go to Bogo."

She nodded and led a team over to him. She gasped when he saw him, almost lifeless, and watched on as an IV line and blood were attached. She followed him on his way out, finding that her father had been joined by Ben and the others.

Kinsey would go with her father to the hospital, to meet her mother there. Brittany would too, albeit in Bogo's ambulance. She stepped in, holding his paw as they were taken away. Everything was catching up with her. The shock of it all, and the relief that it was over.

She'd had so many things to say to Bogo, but she couldn't think of them right now.

She just held his hoof, rubbing her head into it, and begging him not to leave her.

.

.

By the time they got to the hospital, they were saying he was fifty-fifty. They took him off, and she was left there. In the lobby. Alone, waiting for…

"Brittany?"

Jolting, she looked up, before running to embrace Judy. "What are you doing here," the bunny asked.

"Bogo," she sobbed. "He's badly injured. He might not make it… My father's hurt too, but not as much…"

"Oh gosh," the bunny sighed, hugging Brittany closer.

"How… how did you know?"

"I didn't. I'm here for Nick."

"Nick…" Brittany gasped. "But… He can heal, can't he?"

Judy nodded slowly, sadly. "They got the generator, but it briefly turned on again for a few seconds. He… He got cut in two."

"Oh god…"

"It might be too much for his…"

"-No, it can't be, it…"

They were broken off as a nurse came up to him. "Here for Mr Wilde?" she asked.

They both nodded.

"He'd like to see you."

They leapt with joy and relief, following her on to a ward where the fox was staying, Skye by his side, holding his paws. He looked at them groggily. "Why can't I feel my legs?"

There was an awkward pause, as Skye pulled back his covers. Instead of legs and a tail, he had some small stumps. Small stumps that were growing, ever so slowly.

"I…" he began, blinking. "You know, I've never pooped out my healing powers before. Huh… First time for everything."

"It's more than that," the nurse said, coming up to him. "I don't know if you were aware, but you were cut in two just below the heart. Your powers did managed to rebuild down to your gut by the time we got here." She paused, almost looking at him curiosity, before pointing to the wires he was fitted to his rail thin arm, and the lines he was connected to. "But your body cannibalised all the fat in your fat reserves, maybe even some bones too. Blood was critically low, blood sugar almost non-existent, toxins rising…" She paused. "Were it not for medical treatment, I'm pretty sure those powers would have been pushed over the limit. You could have died."

Nick looked on, nodding, a tense look on his face. He tried to compose himself but failed.

"You'll be on medical care for a few days probably, with IV lines and food to help rebuild yourself. Even then, it'll take a long while for you to return to a healthy state… A state where you can take this kind of hit again."

Nick nodding solemnly, as Skye paused. "I guessed that as he was healing, you couldn't attach his lower half. Could that be used to speed his healing up, or…"

"-About that," she began, coughing a little. A strange feeling filled the air. "It tried to heal too, regenerating a heart and lungs…"

"Hmmm," Nick noted.

"And it's succeeding."

The whole group paused, their jaws hitting the floor, as the news sunk in.


	37. Epilogue

**AN: This has been an amazing ride. What started off as a fun idea about a year ago has turned into my longest fic yet, and finally it comes to an end. It was a great pleasure writing this story for sure, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Special thanks also goes out to LapisLucius, my brilliant proof reader.**

 **What next for me?**

 **Well, my latest series has already started. Called Fantastic Foxes of Zootopia, it's a mega crossover between Zootopia, Fantastic Mr Fox, Aggretsuko and (in the future) so many more. It's being released like a tv series, individual fics as episodes in a series. For the whole of season 1 in one big release, check out Fanfiction, where it's titled as 'Fantastic Foxes of Zootopia: Series 1. For the individual stories, separated out, you can go over to A03 and look for 'Acting out', the first story in the series (you can then subscribe to the FFoZ series there). Of course, it's best to check out the prequel fic 'Different' too, for a ton of context. I have an amazing plot mapped out, and it's been great fun already bringing in all sorts of characters and having them interact. Please check it out, follow, like, etc…**

 **Now, though, the end of what has been a labour of love. Readers, it was an honour writing for you this last year.**

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.

 **Epilogue:**

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They called it the Ewe's coup.

It almost worked.

But, in the aftermath, everything came to light. The mercenary corps, regardless of which side they were on, finally left Zootopia, with a number of those higher up in Rhinohard facing the consequences of their actions. The average mammal, just following orders, simply had to find a new job. Those responsible for working with Dawn on the plan were sent away. Demrir Tohnrak, the wildebeest, along with those who'd organised the attack on the restaurant, would never be let out.

It turned out that Dawn really didn't have anything to do with that attack. They were just impatient, angry, waiting for blood and snapping too soon. A snap that helped to seal their fate.

Meanwhile, at the ZED, things were slowly put back together. Everyone was scared and shaken, but they'd gotten through this.

They were also keeping an eye on something very, very, odd.

It took two days, pumping him full of IV drip and feeding him incredibly high energy food, to give Nick his legs and tail back. He was rake thin though, the effort of regeneration so much of his body taking everything he could give. He was able to walk, though.

Able to see his other half.

Skye, in her panic, hadn't noticed it regenerate a heart and lungs, pushing an odd headless body up above itself. The medics though had, and immediately hooked it up. It needed complete life support, given that trying to regenerate these things had almost destroyed it.

It had gone into cardiac arrest a few times, requiring the use of a defibrillator. Fangmeyer looked on curiously as it grew, forgoing arms and slowly trying to form a head. "Why did you keep it alive?" she asked.

There was an awkward silence.

"It's…" she tried to justify. "I'd have thought you'd turn something like this away, especially as the real Nick survived. I'm not saying you should have, I'm just wondering why?"

The head doctor, the one who made the call, came up to her. "We saw that it was healing, and it had a heartbeat and signs of breathing," he said. "Were it not for the healing powers, and it was going to perish, we would have. But our code of ethics was firm on this. It had a chance, we had to give him that."

"Him?" she asked.

"Well yeah," Nick butted in from the side. He'd been sitting down, resting himself. "You do realise he has my dick." He paused, looking at it, before chuckling. "I still… -It actually works! -The cloning thing works!"

"It would have killed you both were it not for the medical treatment we gave you two," the doctor said.

"I know, I know," he agreed. "I'm totally not going to do this again."

"Indeed," Fangmeyer said. "One Nick was already enough."

The fox paused, looking at the tiger, seemingly pondering the idea, much to her worry. He gazed at the expression on her face and chuckled, shaking it off. "You know," he said. "Will it be another me? Will he just wake up as if he'd been knocked out when… Will be basically be a newborn baby? If it had been just my head that went, and that died, would I have experienced that death… And a stranger taken over the rest of me?"

…

A silence hung in the air, before Fangmeyer coughed. "We'll have to wait and see," she said, before moving on. Along went Nick, Judy, Skye and Brittany with her. They all had someone else to check up on. They all had things to do, managing the fallout of the night that had shaken Zootopia.

.

Brittany was there to help them along the way.

.

She was also there with some news for a certain squirrel. News that she hadn't had the time to tell him. News that she worried would break his heart yet give him hope. She'd debated on whether she should soften the truth to help him, even just a little.

She shook the idea from her head though. She wasn't going to lie to him. She wasn't going to treat him like she'd been treated. She wasn't going to hold back on this news, hoping it'd somehow get less painful in the future when, as she knew herself, it would only get more so. But, before that, she needed to make sure that his mother, his real one, would be there for him.

So, she found herself sitting in the booth of a private coffee shop, looking on as a young squirrel walked in. She spotted Brittany, walked over, and paused.

"Emily Curlyque?" the red fox asked.

She nodded, before breathing out. She was only a couple of years older than Brittany, but her voice seemed ever so much older. More tired. "That's me," she replied, holding a small cup of tea lightly. She looked up though, a faintest look of hope in her eyes. "Is this about Larry?"

Brittany nodded.

"How… how is he? Is Sandra looking after him?"

Brittany breathed out, gave the truth, and watched as the little squirrel tried to compose herself. The cup she was holding rattled and shook in her paw but, with her eyes closing and opening again, she seemed okay.

Just about.

"Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised," she said, looking away. "I… I still don't know if she used her powers or not to make me…" Biting her lip, she looked away, sniffing a few times. "She did use them to make Larry, I know that… I did have feelings for Mr Bushel. But I knew they were dumb… Stupid… Sandra, she was always the bad girl, but we were friends. I joked about it, told her… Then I remember it happening, and both of us waking up the next day. I… I felt disgusted… Horrible. Just so gross about myself, and I couldn't look at him in class. He came after me, after, and we both sort of knew that Sandra had done it. He called the police and laid it all out…" Breathing in and out, she wiped her eyes. "He was a good teacher. A good mammal, he… -he was nice. -He didn't deserve it. Any of it…"

Brittany nodded, leaning forwards to try and comfort her, only to get a paw stuck out in her direction. Telling her to back off, just for a moment or two.

"I… I should have been better. I should have resisted her, it's… it's my fault."

"It isn't. It…"

"I could have tried harder," she said, shaking her head. "Her powers… If she wanted you to bang your head on the table or something, you could resist. It… It needed this little nugget of desire to make it work, and I wanted Lucas just that tiny little dumb bit… -I should have buried it, or tried my best, or…"

"Or handbag the squirrel so hard she forgets how to fly," Brittany said, the odd statement making Emily send out a choked laugh.

"I… I guess," she said sadly, shaking her head. "But… When it came to me giving birth to Larry… I was so scared and terrified. I wasn't ready. I know it sounds evil, but I really wasn't ready. I didn't love him… I only do now in hindsight, but it was too much of a shock back then. I wanted the best for him, but I didn't want to look after him and… and…"

"Sandra offered to take him."

"I don't know why," she said, shaking her head. "Maybe she found him cute, or felt guilty, or… -But a big part of me wanted him gone. I just wanted life to be normal again," she said. "I… -I can't remember if she even had to use her powers. I really can't."

Brittany nodded, her paw coming out. Emily couldn't help but grasp her finger. "But thanks… Thanks so much for looking after him. He… -Does he know the truth?"

The red fox shook her head. Emily looked away, sadly.

"A part of me really regrets letting him go," she said. "But… But a bigger part of me is scared. I… I don't earn a lot, I won't be able to look after him. I don't know what to do."

"Don't you want to meet him?" she asked. "He'd love to meet his real mother."

Emily sighed. "It's as I said. I… I don't think I can handle being thrown into the deep end. Anyway, I don't even earn enough to look after him! He'd… He doesn't deserve to grow up poor, or…" She trailed off, looking down. "I'd love to visit him more than anything," she said. "But I don't think I'd be able to look after him."

Brittany looked on, nodding. "How about this," she said. "I heard the ZED is looking for a new receptionist." There was a pause, as Emily looked up. "And you can live there, and be with Larry. We'll still look after him, but you can be there with him. You can start looking after him." She smiled. "You can start in the shallow end and slowly ease yourself in. How does that sound?"

Emily looked up, her eyes widening. "That…. That sounds amazing," she said, before bursting into tears. She launched herself at Brittany's paw, holding it tight. "Thanks… Thank you so much!"

Brittany, feeling the waterworks come on, smiled back. "That's what we do at the ZED."

.

.

A call came in, and Nick, Skye and Judy were back at the hospital. They'd known the other half had grown a head, but it had been silent. They'd even debated whether it was braindead.

But then they'd got a call and came in, and they saw it looking back at him.

…

"Okay…" he said tensely. "Just putting it out there, I'm not the shapeshifter, he is!"

"Nick," Judy said, "what do you remember?"

"Urghhh… Fighting, getting these mammals to surrender. There was a flash, this guy was swinging down to hit me and my powers were off…" he paused. "How hard did he hit me on my head to knock me out?"

Nick, the original one, coughed a few times. "He didn't hit us on the head, he cut us in half…"

New Nick blinked a few times. "Oh Mother Marian…"

"Yup."

"The cloning thing worked!"

"Well," original Nick began, tensely. "It almost killed both of us. We needed medical attention…"

"-Wait a minute…" the bedbound Nick began, as he looked at his arms, which had grown back to his elbows at this point. "Rut me, I'm the bottom one, ain't I?"

"Are you the bottom one…"

"-Yes."

"Maybe I wasn't going to say that."

"You were, you totally were…"

"And how do you know that?" Old Nick teased.

New Nick blinked. "I am literally you."

"I like to think of myself as an individual."

"You know, if I realised I was this irritating, I wouldn't have bothered trying to clone myself in the first place… Also, your dick is now mine. Ha!"

Old Nick smirked. "Well, I guess you win that argument."

New Nick gave him a wink. "You know, now that I've got an identical twin I never had before, we could do all kinds of twin stuff. We could dress the same."

"Talk creepily in unison."

They both paused, before speaking out at the same time. "Totally annoy Fangmeyer."

Skye blinked a few times, looking at Judy. "It's uncanny…"

They both turned to the pair and smirked. "It's called a hustle sweetheart."

They both broke down laughing, but the younger Nick paused as he glanced at Skye, then at the older Nick. His entire mind had been twisting and turning, trying to work out just what had happened, and now the heavy weight of reality began crashing down on him. Hitting him hard. He didn't feel like he'd just been birthed into existence, he felt as if he'd been living his life and then sucker punched.

He sighed. He had his red lines, he had his codes, and he knew when he'd received a losing paw in cards. When the others went, he asked the original him, still a concept that messed with him and somehow hurt him a little, to stay.

So he could put things strait.

"We need to talk about your girl," he said, and talk he did. After old Nick left, new Nick settled down in his bed and sulked a little. He was a grown mammal, he was mature, but he still had his feelings. He still felt hurt by this loss.

.

.

Brittany held her breath. It was time to tell Larry the news. Emily was ready, but waited in the side lines, worried about being there for it. So, Brittany settled him down, stroking his back, before opening her laptop. "I've found out who your family are," she said, the squirrel looking up alert.

"Really!? You've found my Momma! You've found my Momma!"

Brittany bit her lip, taking a steadying breath, before carrying on. "It's a bit complication. -A bit confusing, even…" She paused, smiling as he giggle a bit. He did like that word. "-You see, there were once three mammals in a school. One was a nice teacher, called Lucas. One was a squirrel, called Emily, who was his student. And then there was a flying squirrel called Sandra, who had special powers…"

"Like me?"

Brittany sighed. "Not quite," she said, looking down. "She could hypnotise mammals, and she used it to make Lucas and Emily do something which really hurt them both. You see…"

On she talked, giving the kit friendly birds and the bees version to the squirrel. About how students and teachers shouldn't have a relationship like a boyfriend and girlfriend. How Sandra made them do it. How it meant Emily gave birth to a baby, which Sandra made her give over. How Lucas' life was ruined, and he killed himself. She made sure to comfort Larry throughout, as he sniffed and then cried and then bawled into her, even lashing out a few times.

"It's okay…" she said, a few tears of sympathy dripping from her own eyes.

"NO!" he cried. "NO IT'S NOT! MY MOMMA! MY MOMMA WAS A… A BAD MAMMAL!" He buckled down, sobbing into her some more, and she stayed with him until he'd cried himself out. Brittany knew what it was like to some extent. To learn that the mammal you looked up to, lionised, had been deceiving you all that time. Larry had a few, golden, precious memories of his mother, but now he knew they were wrong. She wasn't the font of love and attention he'd dreamed about, reminisced about, hoped for…

His entire world just crumbled into dust. Dust, though, that could be restored again.

"Your Momma, your real Momma," she said, "is a nice squirrel. She's scared though, a bit confused, but she's waiting outside. Waiting for you. Do you want to see her now?"

…

"You okay, Kitto?"

"NO!" he cried, looking up, his face wincing with anger. "IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"I know it isn't."

"BUT IT'S NOT! WHAT DID I DO?! WHY ME?!"

"I think a lot of mammals thought that," she said, sadly. "Poor Emily Curlyque and poor Lucas Bushel. It's not fair on any of them," she said, with a sigh. "But we can make it better. Just a little bit."

"How!" he shouted. "MY MOMMA'S STILL BAD!"

She cradled him in her paw. "Your Momma might be bad," she said. "But your real Momma isn't. She's here, for when you want her. Her brother and sister, and their kids, aren't bad mammals either. What about your grandparents?"

He looked up, biting his lip, on the verge of tears. "They're not _my_ Momma!"

"I'm so sorry they're not," she said. "I'm sorry it was like this. But your real Momma will be happy to take you in, and love you, and care for you. Then, in five years' time, you'll love them just as much." She paused, about to say, 'Don't you want that?', but not being able to. Larry was still distraught, she couldn't blame him. She could just let him finish crying it out, before handing him over to Clawhauser.

It took him a little while to calm down. They were there for him, as he paused and spoke. "You say… You say my real Momma is here?"

"Do you want to meet her?" Ben asked, as Larry nodded.

So, he brought her in. There was a pause as they stared at each other, and then they ran and hugged. Emily had cried into her lost boy, stroking his back and, after a little bit of time for it to all click together, he embraced her. Crying too. Telling his Momma that he loved her and wanted her to never leave him.

She was still terribly nervous, but she was ready for this. They slept in rooms next to each other, bumped into each other often. Brittany was there a lot for the first month or so, helping Emily out alongside Clawhauser, until eventually they weren't needed. Emily and Larry would stay at the ZED as mother and son, her working and him learning, alongside the many new families that were arriving under the new policies.

He even met his uncle, aunt, cousins and grandparents. Emily's father took a great shine to him, and the little kit loved the cheeky older squirrel whenever he visited. Poor Grandma Bushel, after losing both her boys, found great comfort in him as well. She moved close to the ZED and was a regular visitor.

Brittany smiled as she watched them, Larry surrounded by family and playing with one of his cousins. She felt good. She felt like a hero.

The ball they'd been kicking about rolled towards her, and she picked it up between two of her fingers, just as Larry and his cousin turned up. He looked at her with the cutest eyes imaginable and asked a simple question. "Can you play too?"

She smiled. Just because he had his family back didn't mean she couldn't have lots of fun with him too. "Climb up and get it," she teased, before the gleeful squirrels began racing up and around her, trying to liberate the ball. She smiled and laughed as they went, glowing a radiant warm thanks to the joy she felt. This was the life…

.

.

As Larry was getting used to his new family, a member of hers was also arriving back. Bogo's stay in hospital was long and painful, but he came out of it okay. He had a rather nice pardon from the new mayor as well, and he was content to carry on here as an assistor, like he'd been doing before.

"You did a nice job with his family," he said, looking over at Larry.

"Yeah," she replied, happily. "I did it…"

"Mmmm-hmmm," he noted, as he walked slowly along. "Speaking of that, is it okay if I have a word with you?"

Her ears perked and, in private, he told her about all he felt and all he regretted, before asking for forgiveness. She hugged him back, saying that she loved him. She did. She truly meant it. He told her that he loved her back, before ruffling her hair, sending her tail into a happy little wag. He was friendlier and more supportive than ever, something Brittany couldn't get enough of. But she made sure to tell him to speak to Clawhauser, especially if he ever got dumb ideas like her father had.

Speaking of him, Nigel had got quite the scolding from his wife for his crazy actions. She and Brittany then forced him to get counselling, therapy, and all the works to help him out. Maybe it was all that, or maybe it really was the fact that he stood up for her, but he seemed to carry his head a little higher all the time. He cared for her, and loved her, and the self-hatred and lack of self-worth that had dogged him seemed to be banished out of his mind.

Brittany just loved him.

She always would.

Kinsey, meanwhile, grew up, always practicing her powers. She, along with Larry and many others, got a reward from the mayor for their brave acts, something she enjoyed boasting about here and there.

.

.

Time passed, and another new arrival appeared at the ZED.

"Oh no," Fangmeyer scolded. "No way!"

"What?" Nicholas, as the new fox called himself, asked.

"Firstly, you hate the ZED, so why are you here?"

"Well, it was Nick who…"

"You are Nick."

He paused, blinking, his eyes narrowing. "I think you'll happen to find that I'm Nicholas, thank you very much. I'm my own mammal, and while there are many, many, many, many, many reasons not to join your little cub scout troop, I have recently decided to do so for one very good reason."

"And what's that?"

"How much it annoys both you and Nick," he said with a gleeful smile.

"Seriously?"

"Honestly, looking at you right now, it's totally worth it."

"Well, given your past actions, I can still refuse you."

" _Ahem…"_ Nicholas harrumphed. "I think you'll find that I'm legally a separate person, and you can't deny me based on his actions.

Fangmeyer tried to sort through the mental gymnastics before sighing, head in paws, and plodding over to the labs. "Come on then," she groaned. "Let's get this over with."

It went well, and after passing with flying colours, Nicholas sat outside the ZED. He paused, sighing slightly, before perking up as Judy came up to him. "Hey."

"Hey…"

She slid up to him and smiled. Nicholas had decided to get a little freeze tattoo on one of his ears, giving it a white tip, so mammals could tell them apart.

Well, more like his mother, who was otherwise gleeful at suddenly having twins, insisted he did.

"You okay?"

"Yup."

"Just with the whole ZED thing…"

"Right as rain, Carrots!"

There was a pause. "I'm still surprised."

He huffed a little. "So am I," he mused. "So am I. I mean, I still remember being chased… Jack… All that… Yet with all that's happened, how everything got tossed about, it all feels so much further away. Everything feels more different, everything makes less sense." He looked to her and smiled. "I guess I'm my own mammal now."

"And what about Nick?"

Nicholas chuckled. "Oh, having a twin is still super awesome! You know, I'm planning to throw him a surprise birthday party, and I'll be able to literally plan the perfect party for him!"

Judy laughed, and then paused. "How do you feel about me?" she asked, pausing. "With all this."

"Honestly, I'd forgiven you before it all," he said. "No hard feelings for officer Hippity Hoppity…"

"Oh, I thought I was bunny Javert," she teased. Nicholas nodded a few times, before freezing in shock.

"Oh… How did you…"

"I happened to overlook you and Skye, I…"

"You overlooked Nick and Skye," he said, looking away. He paused. "Listen, that was… That was a dumb joke he… -I made, to try and cheer her up…" He breathed in and out.

"How's all that going?"

He looked at her and shrugged. "Nick was the original," he said. "He gets her fair and square. It hurt… It did. But I got over it, I'm a big tod."

"Yeah. Just like I'm a big bunny," Judy said. She stepped up and turned to walk away before pausing. She laid a paw on Nicholas's one, as he looked down. "Listen," she said, steadying herself. "I have something to tell you."

The talk after was long, it was frank, it was emotional. By the end of it though, the pair left together. Not long after, Nick and Skye found them sharing an ice cream in the canteen. He looked to her and smiled. "You know, I was worrying about him," he said, before looking back and smiling. Nick and Nicholas's eyes met, and one gave the other a wink, the other returning it.

"So was I," Skye said, holding his paw. "But they're both in good paws."

.

.

Nicholas and Judy, and Nick and Skye, grew ever closer. Brittany and Kinsey did too, and often spent their summers together, the little kit over at the ZED's empowered summer camp. By that time, the ZED had grown. Empowered children and their families were a regular sight. Many new houses had been built for them to live in, and there was even a proper swimming pool, all paid for by a donation from Jeb Piper and Edmund Lanhoff. The pair, mainly led by the older deer, had also set up a foundation to help those affected by rogue empowered. Other mammals, including Isaac the code weaver, also joined in, spurned on by the Zootopia incident. They donated a chunk of their wealth now, with almost all of it going into it in the future. It didn't take long for them to reach a point where they were asking some of the mammals to maybe find other good causes to help out, given how well set up the charity became.

Brittany was happy about it, but she couldn't help but cringe just a little. It wasn't that it was a bad idea, rather that was that it was a sticky plaster to an issue with no clear answer. There would always be terrible mammals, some of whom who would then get powers, and there was little to nothing that anyone could do about it.

Maybe some things were just hard truths of life?

Things mammals had to get used to, like the odd sharp bone in a nice bit of fish.

The world was better thanks to the empowered. But however sad it might be, some mammals' worlds would always be worse off thanks to them. She couldn't help but think of Bellwether's mother. Judy and her had met with her once, the Ewe carrying a cold and sad aura about her. She'd said that things were getting better, Brittany hoped they were, but nobody deserved as much pain as she'd gone through.

She sighed as she lowered herself into the pool for some practice laps. The best they could do was try. Try and try, however hard it got… They were still trying to find Sandra Steepler, though she seemed to be off grid completely. They'd carry on until the statute of limitations ended in a year or two, but Brittany had a strong feeling that they'd never find her again.

She didn't matter though. No-one here missed her or loved her or cared for her. They didn't need her. She was just a name with a lot of unpleasant memories attached, which most mammals wished had never existed in the first place.

.

.

The ZED did need Brittany Voxen though. She became a common sight in the air, flying from fire to fire and putting them out. She never became an enforcer, always happy to be an assistor. But, whenever a fellow enforcer needed a bit of help against a certain rogue empowered or other, she felt okay going out. A bit scared, yes, but she was ever happy to assist. Whenever the alarm rang, she was in the command centre, ready for her briefing.

"-Don't worry, false alarm," Fangmeyer said.

Brittany had been summoned to the control building, only to find out that this time she hadn't been needed. She rolled her eyes. "Understood Commander," she said, before smiling a little. "Just don't make a habit of it."

The tiger rolled her eyes. "I don't intend to," she said, before turning to Skye. "Same goes for you, you can go back to doing your thing…"

She was cut off as a blur raced into the room, stopping by her. Nick looked at her and shrugged. "Good to hear," he said, overly cheerfully. "We were in the middle of something!"

Fangmeyer rolled her eyes. "Apologies. But don't do that Wilde!"

"I'll try not to."

"Good," she said. "Dismissed." With a wave they vanished and Fangmeyer, shaking her head, settled down. It had been interesting news to Brittany that Skye and Nick were in a relationship. It had been highly irritating to the tiger. However, after the events of that one night, she held a begrudging respect towards the red fox. He tried his best not to push all her buttons, as did Nicholas as he worked with Judy. While Nick was not part of the ZED, still working contract jobs, he eventually moved into one of the new houses to be with Skye. The flash of his blur was a semi-common site around the place. Just another of the fun quirks that made it feel like home.

.

.

Days, weeks and months ticked by, a year passing by too. Brittany lived her life, spending time with her family and Larry, as her nineteenth birthday passed her by. Nicholas's '1st' birthday did too, with Nick getting him an adult version of a kit's first. Complete with a giant cake in the shape of a one, a pass-the-parcel drinking game, and all sorts of other crazy stuff…

It was a lot more fun than she'd ever imagined.

Then came the anniversary of Larry's reunion with his mother. Brittany still had feelings for the little squirrel kit and, after talking with Clawhauser, she came to accept that they were very maternal in nature. She'd have the odd daydream about having a kit of her own and knew that, in the future when the time was right, she could be a mother too.

She liked that idea, but it could wait.

There were plenty of things she both wanted to do and needed to do before she got anywhere before that. After all, she had to find a Tod to love, didn't she?

She did find herself thinking of Sam again, after all this time. They ended up in contact again, and they did date. Both loved each other this time, and they stayed close for six months until they both found themselves drifting apart.

The feeling was mutual. Some things just didn't work out and this was one of them.

They broke up amicably, though Brittany still cried for a few days. After settling down though, she got on with her life. She passed her twentieth birthday and looked forwards. Fire and ice danced inside her, under control but ever toying. She'd found her place in the world, and she would stay there among the mammals she loved. There was a long road ahead, but she was looking forwards to walking down it.

.

.

After a long mission, Judy landed back at the ZED. Debriefed, tired, but feeling good, she'd grabbed a salad and chosen to eat it outside. The sun was warm, a late summer evening when the temperature was just right, and she was going to make use of it before winter began creeping up again. So, she settled down on a bench in a little landscaped area, near the new houses. It was two years since Dawn Bellwether's coup. Two years since she'd defeated it.

She didn't regret doing it. Her life was going well and she loved it. She was surrounded by friends, and she visited her family ever often.

Still…

She spotted Nick standing by her. Patting the bench, she watched him settling down before offering some food. "-And don't take all the blueberries."

"I'll limit myself to a half," he replied, smirking as he looked at her.

She gave him a stern look.

"A third…"

She smiled and nodded, as he picked them up and swallowed them down, smiling as he did so. "Nice…"

"Thanks," she said, ribbing him gently. "I like to think I've got good taste in food."

"Ha-Ha…" he replied, giving her a wink.

She smiled back, before her ears drooped just a little bit. Turning back to her food, she began eating again, only to pause when hearing Nick clear his throat. "You okay?"

"Sure," she said, with a shrug. "Why?"

"You just seem down, a bit," he replied, turning away and scratching the back of his head. "Might be bad family news, stomach bug, unexpressed feelings for yours truly…"

Judy choked on her food when he said the last bit, before glaring up.

"Huh. Guilty as charged."

Chewing and swallowing it down, Judy looked away. "You know that I'm seeing your better half, right?" she teased, pausing as a flicker of wind came by.

"Trying to poach my bunny, are you?" Nicholas teased, looking down at the blueberries. "And with my favourite fruit!"

"Well they were my favourite first…"

"I loved them from the day I was born," Nicholas defended proudly. "And now I must confiscate them all!"

He lunged forwards to scoop them out, Nick doing the same, and their paws met in a superspeed blur, immediately turning the blueberries into a mush that was sprayed out over both of them and Judy.

…

The two tods burst into laughter as Judy looked at them. A pair of overgrown kits, the lot of them. "Ahem," she said, both turning to see the mess they'd made of her.

"Being her girlfriend, I'm the one legally able to handle this," Nicholas said proudly, as he leant in and began licking it off her, preening her and sending her giggling as he went.

Nick rolled his eyes. "I guess that both of you are good then."

"Of course we are," Judy replied. "We always are."

"Just checking," he said, looking up into the air. "Just checking."

"Oh, and why's that?" she asked, expecting another joke. It didn't come though. Nick just let a warm smile grow across his muzzle, his tail wagging a bit, before he looked down at her.

"Let's just say that Skye isn't the subtlest of mammals," he said, giving her a wink as he stood up again.

Judy nodded, not sure what he was getting at, before giving him a wave. Despite how they started off, he was her friend. So was Skye. So was Brittany, and Bogo, and the others. She had her Nicholas, and he was proudly looking on at his twin, giving him a salute.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"Oh, you'll see," he replied, before pausing. "You know, if we're petty, and depending on some other factors… We could beat them to it."

"Beat them to it…" she pondered. "And what other factors?"

"Well, for a start," Nicholas said, pulling her in closer. "How much you love me."

.

.

Nick was relaxing, sitting on a warm grassy bank as he watched the sun go down over the city. For all the speed he had, he enjoyed the quiet moments like these.

Him.

Alone…

His ears rose, and he heard a faint ruffling of grass besides him. "Hey Skye."

"Hey," she said. "I brought a mini-picnic!"

He turned to it and his eyes went wide. "Oooh my! Is that blueberry pie I smell, Lava girl?"

She chuckled. "It sure is," she replied, unpacking it. There were a few little nibbles, alongside the pie, and even a glass of champagne. He popped the cork, Skye playfully flying up after it, before landing again beside him.

"Nice catch," he replied, sitting down with her. "Any more surprises?"

There was a pause, as Skye stiffened ever so slightly. She took a breath in, steadying herself, before reaching over to put one of her paws on top of his. "Just the one…"

"Hmmm?" Nick mused. "What ever could it be?"

Skye looked at him, taking a breath in, before speaking. "Nick… -Before I met you, I loved a mammal who seemed to be the world to me. Who I thought I'd grow old with. Who I… -Who I cherished every second with." She paused, looking down, sniffing slightly. "He… He… he then destroyed my life. Taking away everything from me. Breaking my heart and my body. But he wasn't the only one. He hurt you, too. We both lost ten years to him, Nick. Both of us. And then… And then you saved me. And how could I not save you… And then I realised I loved you, but I was so scared of it all going wrong again. You, though…. You helped me past that…."

Tears were dripping from her eyes, and she leaned in, holding his paw tight. "How could I not," he said back, staring into her beautiful eyes, transfixed.

"You did it because you're a big sweetie," she said, the joy behind it pushing through her sadness. "There's more than that though," she continued. "You… You gave me your blood. It flows through me. We're family," she said, holding his paw tighter. She sniffed, tears of joy and happiness and fear dripping out. "I'm your family," she said, as she reached down into a pocket. "And I want you to be mine."

Nick looked down, gasping as a little box was brought out.

"Nick," Skye said. "Will…"

"-Yes."

…

She blinked a few times, before launching herself into him, embracing her Tod. He held her back. Life had thrown them around and hurt them, and done some very strange things to them too, but they'd picked each other up and survive. They cared for each other, and loved each other, and were made for each other. They both had a long, long, long life ahead of them.

They would walk that long road together.

Neither wanted it any other way.


End file.
